Annie's Song
by wintermoon2
Summary: More than a year after Sam's return from Atlantis and the events of "Continuum", SG-1 discovers the ruins of a Furling city. They have no idea what's in store for them or how to deal with this kind of treasure.
1. Chapter 1 Monkey Wrench

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Chapter One - Monkey Wrench:**

_(idiomatic) a problem, obstacle, or dilemma; something unexpected_

_(noun) an adjustable tool used to fix things that are broken_

Sam was, for one of the first times in her nearly twelve years with the Stargate program, bored. Since turning over the USS George Hammond to Colonel Reynold's command so she could work from Earth again and rejoin SG-1, work had offered its usual ups and downs quite regularly, that was, until almost a month ago. She'd completely reorganized her lab and office, cleaned old files from her computer, updated every report that could use updating, consulted with Cpt. Hailey on some calculations for SG-7's upcoming mission, and hadn't worked an all-nighter in nearly two weeks. Thus far, General Landry didn't even have plans to send them out on a mission for another week. She sighed, surprised that she would ever have to wish for something exciting, and decided to see if Daniel was free for lunch.

She'd barely exited the elevator on sub-level 18 when Daniel came running around the corner from his lab. "Sam! Oh, you're not gonna believe this!" He shifted some folders and papers into his left hand and grabbed her wrist with his right, pulling her back into the elevator with him. He quickly pushed the glowing 27 that would take them to the General's office and turned to her, excitement radiating off him. "Remember PX4-629? SG-13 did a recon mission since the MALP didn't show populated areas anywhere near the gate. Well, they found what looks like ruins of a city, and I finally had time to study the stills they brought back, images of the architecture and writings there." He pushed his glasses up with one finger and started shifting through the folders, pulling out a couple stills to show her as he continued talking. "This is a panel SG-13 photographed; based on location, I'd say the writing is probably some sort of dedication, a formal and traditional statement about the purpose of the building. This building's structure and placement in the area suggests that it holds, or, held a great significance to the society there, much like a temple or hospital, really any centrally important place to the culture there…"

Sam couldn't help but smile when he interrupted himself in his excitement. "And I believe I know who that culture was!" He continued talking as he flipped through to another still, one that looked a little more familiar to her. "This is the wall of writing from PB2-908 that we determined was from the Furlings." Ah, the planet where they'd found Ernest Littlefield and the information about the Four Great Races, yes, she remembered that. "The alphabet is based on these crescents and dots, which might be some sort of diacritical marks or other letter or symbol differentiation. I suspect this large angular symbol could be a form of punctuation, see how it's got three different angles in this sample, but it doesn't seem similar to the other writing? And these lines could be similar to any other ascendants and descendants common in many languages. You can clearly see that these symbols, or rather, these writings share many of the same symbols. There might actually be enough here between the two places that I can fully translate and gain an understanding of the Furling language, not to mention the possibilities of what else we could find out about their history, their, their culture!" The elevator dinged and the doors opened, making Sam realize just how quickly Daniel had been talking to have gone through all that in the short trip of a few floors.

The change in location didn't faze Daniel, though. He continued to talk about his theory, juggling the various papers and files some more as they headed to General Landry's office. He didn't seem to notice the nervous cadets that swerved to avoid a collision with him, or the woman from the admin offices that turned to watch as he and Sam continued down the hall and into the briefing room.

General Landry waved them into his office through the window and moved a stack of papers and folders off to the side of his desk. "Dr. Jackson, I wasn't aware you were bringing the Colonel with you. Do we need to get the rest of the team in to make this an official briefing?"

"No, sir. Well, not yet anyway. I hadn't intended on bringing Sam with me, but I was telling her a bit about my discovery when I ran into her on the way here. If you'd like to get a briefing scheduled that would be great, sir. I'd really like to get out there and take a closer look at this as soon as possible."

Sam smiled silently, amused at the way Daniel's recounting of the past five minutes made her sound more like a willing participant and less like someone who was dragged into an elevator and hadn't been able to get a word in on the subject.

"Well," General Landry leaned forward, clasping his hands on his desk, "why don't you start by telling me what you want a closer look at, and I'll decide if it merits a briefing and a mission."

In the decade since they'd found Ernest Littlefield on PB2-908, Daniel had been diligently searching and hoping and waiting for more details on the Furlings, the elusive Fourth Race. It hadn't been quite as prominent in his mind since the battle with the Ori had started, but he he'd never given up hope of someday meeting the Furlings or at least finding some kind of anthropological insight into their lives.

Now, with the hopes that he would soon meet this goal, he began repeating to General Landry everything he'd just told Sam and then some.

In retrospect, he wasn't sure how much of his ramblings the General had actually understood, but he was granted a team briefing, and eventually they were given a go for the mission, despite the fact that Teal'c hadn't returned from assisting the Tok'ra with an assignment. At this point, the only thing that would have excited him more was an extended mission to study Atlantis. In fact, considering all they knew about the Ancients, or rather, the Alterans, and the extremely small amount they knew of the Furlings, this may well provide him with more opportunities and a more unique mission.

With their target destination a half day's hike from the gate, Daniel was completely lost in thought as he walked with Sam. Cam and Vala had moved ahead of them, and while he could still hear them if he tried, their conversation was certainly not at the forefront of his attention. He looked over when Sam spoke to him.

"So, is it just me, or does it sound like those two are planning a vacation?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the other two.

Daniel turned his attention to the other half of his team momentarily, just in time to hear Cam say something about marshmallows. "Oh, I'm sure they are. I just hope that the possibility of digging and other forms of manual labor won't screw up their plans," he added with a wry grin.

As she had expected, Daniel was spending every waking moment in the ruins. Sam and Mitchell had spent the first evening setting up camp while Daniel had taken a flashlight and gone off to get an initial once-over of the ruins' exterior, with Vala close on his heels. The second day had been somewhat relaxing, most of the team taking advantage of this rare low-stress mission to enjoy the temperate weather and the time away from the base. Daniel was technically working, but they all knew he was more at home and relaxed when surrounded by artifacts and linguistic puzzles than most anywhere else. Sam and the others had found themselves chuckling at Daniel's reactions every so often; he kept finding unusual symbols to decipher or new information to consider. He nearly danced over to Sam that afternoon to show her the ceramic bowl he'd found almost completely intact, chattering all the while about the significance of its rounded bottom and asymmetrical lip in cultural understanding.

They were all relaxing around the campfire later that evening when Vala interrupted their dinner with an exclamation of "Oh! Daniel, you simply must see what I found this afternoon. I know you were busy checking out the perimeter of the… the… ruins or temple or whatever, and I didn't want to bother you, but Colonel Mitchell agreed that this might be a significant find." She dug into the pocket of her uniform. "It's just a small stone, and doesn't look like it's very valuable monetarily - but there were some markings on it, so I thought it might be man-made... or would that be 'Furling-made'? Anyway, here."

Daniel took the proffered stone and turned it over in his hands, trying to find a better angle from the fire-light to see what was on its surface. He silently held a hand out towards Sam and she handed over a flashlight.

"If it is valuable, I'll expect half the profits, of course," Vala mumbled. Daniel either didn't hear her or just didn't acknowledge the comment with a response. Sam rolled her eyes discretely. She'd grown to like Vala, but still wished there could be less focus on monetary gain all the time.

"There's something here, but it's completely different than the writing I've seen before. It could be another language - they could have hundreds for all I know - or it could be pictographic. Vala, I'll need you to show me exactly where you found it. Artifacts often have more meaning in their original locations." His voice lowered and, while he continued talking, it was most definitely for his own benefit more than anyone else's as he muttered about the artifact. "I'll have to document it, and check over my other notes in the morning when there's more light to see by." He stood up and wandered absently towards the tent he and Cam were sharing, flashlight and artifact still in hand.

"You're welcome!" Vala called after him, then rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

The next morning, Daniel decided he was ready to move to the interior of the primary structure in the Furling city. He took in the stone walls and open air room that seemed to serve as a welcome area. Much like the images Sam, Jonas and the others had taken on the Utopian Planet while searching for Jack and Maybourne, the stone columns and ceiling were smooth and flat, built much like a simple shelter or pavilion on Earth, and there were three archways along the rear wall. Daniel noticed that Sam approached the first archway very cautiously, obviously wondering what they might do or where they might transport to. He glanced quickly over the entire wall and realized one major difference. He'd spent hours studying those images and the report on that mission, and this difference was glaringly obvious to him.

"There's no lock."

"I'm sorry?" Sam turned to him, confused, but obviously trying to catch his train of thought. They were quite in tune with each other and more often than not could simply pick up on the unspoken statements that made sense of their verbalized non-sequiturs.

"Maybourne had…"

"…a key," she'd caught on just as he spoke. "The key fit onto a 'lock' next to the archway, but there's no similar device here."

"Do you think they work without a key? Or maybe they do something different?"

By this time, Cam and Vala had caught up and observed the conversation for a moment. Vala stepped around Daniel toward the center archway. "Maybe they serve as an opening to get from this entry room into another room that's further inside the structure?" Her tone was almost convincing enough to be pondersome, theorizing, and sincere, but there was just enough sarcasm for Daniel and Sam to realize what she was up to only seconds before she walked through the archway.

"Wait!" Sam and Daniel said at the same time, but Vala was already through and more importantly was fine, standing a few feet inside the next room. She grinned and rolled her eyes at them, then, hands in her pockets and whistling a cheery tune, she proceeded to start looking around at the walls.

"Daniel, you should look at this," she said, "There are more carvings in here like the ones you showed us at the briefing."

He reached up and took off his glasses so that he could pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration for a moment, then sighed heavily, biting back a multitude of cautions about just walking into an alien structure. Then he put his glasses back on, glanced at Sam with a shrug, and followed Vala into the room to examine the walls himself.

The further he got from the archway, the less the light from outside reached the top of the walls, causing him to squint just a bit. The writing, which seemed to cover the entire surface, was very similar to the panel from Ernest's planet, but with some other characters and symbols as well. In some cases it was more pictographic and overall it reminded him of everything from Chinese to Thai. He turned back to the others to tell them that it was indeed Furling writing, only to find that they had stopped just inside the doorway to watch him, and seemed to be trying to hold back laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"You are, dude. Watching you try to resist ancient carvings is like watching the choir director at my granny's church try to resist an extra helping of the communion wine," Cam replied, shaking his head in obvious amusement.

Before Daniel could respond or try to defend himself, a thin red line of light scanned across the room and back again. Vala, Daniel, Sam, and Cameron looked at each other, mixtures of "not again," "what was that?" and "oh shit" on all their faces. Before they could react, however, Vala and Cameron promptly disappeared.

"Daniel?" Sam raised her P-90, ready for anything as she looked around the room and held tightly to her inner calm.

"Yes?" Daniel reached for his sidearm, obviously struggling not to panic as well.

"What just happened?"

"I wish I could answer that. It seems we've been scanned." His pistol in hand, he quickly checked the other side of the room, then began looking around the ceiling and the top couple feet of the walls, trying to pinpoint the source of the scanning light.

"Yes, but Cam and Vala are gone. The scanning didn't do that."

"I don't think so either, but they are probably connected."

"Okay." She stepped cautiously back through the opening. After a few uneventful seconds she went further outside and looked up, trying to catch sight of the planet's moon without any success. Of course, just because the previous transporter arch had sent General O'Neill and Maybourne to a moon didn't mean that this one worked the same way. She looked around to see if there were any markings or symbols they might have missed that screamed "transporter here" or might explain what had happened, but had no luck. Sam briefly considered seeing what was through the other two openings, but decided she didn't need to take that chance, especially not alone.

"Sam?... Sam!" Daniel's voice quickly escalated. She stepped back into the chamber just as he was starting out of it and he grabbed her upper arm with a quick squeeze. "Don't go disappearing on me like that."

She smiled at him, ignoring the odd tightness in her chest when she saw the concern in his eyes. "Sorry. I was just looking around a little more, trying to find something helpful."

"Any luck?" He holstered his weapon, obviously relaxing again now that he knew Sam was still there.

"Nothing. You?"

"Ah, well, yes… er, well, potentially. That's why I called to you at first, see…" he grabbed her hand and led her over to the far corner of the room where natural light was enough to get around, but not enough to read the markings on the wall. Squatting down, he shone his Mag-lite on a low spot on the wall about two or three feet up from the floor. Sam knelt next to him, preparing herself for one of his usual speed-talking explanations. "I, of course, haven't had enough exposure to the Furling's language to fully translate this yet, but I can see it as an influence to a variety of Asian writings. These symbols here," he pointed with the edge of the light, still holding onto Sam as if to make sure she couldn't go anywhere without him, "are similar to ancient Chinese but bare a strong resemblance to Sanskrit script as well. Most importantly, though, this drawing is what really caught my attention." Sam saw a humanoid figure with a tale and a fighting staff. It appeared he was depicted as standing on a cloud. "This is very similar to Earth images of Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King. He's known for wreaking havoc, tricking his way into immortality, and…"

"Daddy?" The tiny, questioning voice that interrupted Daniel confused him, more by its mere presence than by the word itself. He glanced over at Sam and was about to ask if she heard it, too, when the young girl spoke again. "Daddy!"

They both turned just in time to see a blonde toddler running toward them before crashing into Daniel's side, sending them both into the stone wall. Sam, still close enough to touch, was propelled backwards hard enough that she landed on her butt and narrowly missed hitting her head against the wall. Daniel caught the child by instinct, and as the force knocked him over he twisted awkwardly to insure that she wouldn't land on the stone floor or fall into the stone wall. Of course, this meant that he managed to do both while holding her protectively. He grunted as his head rammed into the wall just above the Monkey King's symbols, and winced in pain when he scraped an elbow on the floor as he turned to land under the little girl. He knew she was physically unharmed by the continuing "Daddy daddy daddy daddy daddy" interspersed with tiny little moist lips scattering kisses all over his face. He smiled in spite of himself and found himself hugging her tightly before he knew what he was doing.

"Wait, wait just a minute. Here, stand up now, let me get up so I can see you, okay?" He couldn't imagine where this child had come from, but he thought it best to at least sit up and let her see him properly before he explained that he wasn't her father. She was likely to be scared out of her wits, and if her father had come in here previously, he was likely to be somewhere else, wherever Cam and Vala had been taken, if indeed they'd been taken to the same place.

Sam had watched this entire exchange with a mixed jumble of reactions. She was startled, to say the least, quickly followed by concern for Daniel after hitting his head and arm, confusion over the situation, and – truth be told – amusement and a touch of longing. This little girl vaguely resembled Mark's youngest at around that age, and Sam had often wished she were closer to her niece and nephew. She'd even entertained ideas when she was younger that her children and Mark's children would be close in age and would play together and have a close cousin bond. Needless to say, considering their strained relationship, her career, their geographic distance, and her childless status, that wasn't likely to happen. Daniel caught her attention then, looking over the girl's shoulder in an obvious plea for help. She reached over and tried to gently extract the girl from around Daniel's upper body, but the little girl held on tight and exchanged her litany for violent head shakes and a tighter grip.

"Okay, it's okay," Daniel soothed. "Can you at least tell us your name, sweetie?"

The little girl reared back some at that; her expression was difficult to see in the dim light, but her body language was unmistakable. She tensed in his arms as she looked at him.

"Daddy, you know my name," she said. "D... don't you?" hesitation creeping into her voice with that question. She turned to Sam after a few seconds. "Mommy?" She sounded so hopeful, yet so frightened and lost that Sam wasn't sure what to do. She reached out and let the girl switch over to her arms, gathering her close and giving her what she hoped was a comforting, reassuring hug.

"Shhhh, now. It'll be okay. You're safe, and we'll take care of you and make sure that you get back home." Belatedly, Sam realized that she hadn't actually said that they weren't her parents, although she'd realize it as soon as she saw them out in the light. "Just take some deep breaths, okay?" She felt more than saw the nod against her shoulder.

After a few moments, Sam shifted so that she was sitting Indian style with her back against the wall adjacent to the one Daniel was still sitting against. An added benefit to this position was the direct view of the door, something every soldier recognized as important. She took a deep breath and locked eyes with Daniel, willing herself to wait patiently for the traumatized child to relax.

Daniel, for his part, was willing himself to breathe, something that had involuntarily stopped when Sam looked at him holding that little girl. He didn't even try to wonder why, just reminded himself that oxygen was important, and turned his attention to the child. It struck him as intriguing, though quite unexpected, to note that she was dressed like any other Earth child of her age. The slightly baggy, elastic waist pants looked like denim, and he'd never seen such a standard Earth-style T-shirt on the other people they'd met in their travels. The little girl slowly released her grip on Sam and raised her head, looking from Sam to Daniel and back again. Finally, she nodded her head ever so slightly and sat carefully on Sam's thigh, tucking her tiny feet into the space between Sam's crossed legs, though Daniel was almost certain he saw a familiar swoosh on the side of those very sneaker-looking shoes. Her left arm was wrapped around Sam, who felt the tiny fingers raking across the mesh of her vest just under the shoulder blade as the toddler, in a clear sign of anxiety, tried to grasp at something. With her free hand, the girl brushed some of the loose shoulder-length, wavy blond hair back from her face. She then rested her hand almost primly on her knees while looking back and forth between Sam and Daniel a few times. She took a deep breath and pinned Sam with a look of amazing authority for one so small.

"Did he hit his head?" she glanced at Daniel as she asked the question.

"Yes, I think he did, a little," Sam glanced and Daniel and received a non-verbal sign that while he had indeed hit his head, he was mostly all right. "Why do you ask?"

"'cause you said hitting a head can make people forget things, sometimes, and he forgot my name."

Something at the bottom of Sam's stomach twisted as she realized that the girl still hadn't noticed they weren't her real parents. When she did, she would get upset again, Sam knew, and wasn't sure what she should tell her. But it would probably scare her much more if they pretended now, and she realized that they'd lied to her later.

Sam had no idea where the idea came from, but at that instant, it seemed like the most natural thing in the world to say, "Oh, honey, he didn't forget your name, did you Da…addy?" She adjusted quickly to avoid startling the girl with an unfamiliar name.

Daniel watched as two very similar faces with two very similar sets of blue eyes turned on him, waiting expectantly. The smaller one was very anxious, while Sam merely nodded, urging him silently to go along with her. "Of course, not. That would be very silly, wouldn't it?" He smiled at the young girl and was rewarded with a slight grin that inexplicably warmed his heart.

"I think he's ok, sweetie. But you see," Sam continued, drawing the child's attention back to her, "he was asking you about your name because that's one of the things you're supposed to ask people to make sure they don't have something wrong in their brain. Whenever people get hurt…" she quickly realized there was no evidence this child had been injured at all, "or lost, it's very important to ask them these specific questions, understand?" The girl nodded seriously, obviously taking Sam's word as infallible.

"So, just to make sure you're okay, why don't we go ahead and get you to answer those questions for us? What's your name?"

"Andrea Sha're Carter-Jackson" she responded proudly, "but you call me Annie, after Grandma Carter I never got to meet."

Sam felt a sudden lump in her throat and a slight shortness of breath. _I guess Daniel's name wouldn't be that unfamiliar to her after all_, was the only thought she could identify at the time.

Daniel had had better days. Of course, he'd had much worse days, come to think of it. But he'd never had a day quite like this one. Staring at the little girl who was sitting there on Sam's lap and had just announced her name with all the conviction in the world, he forgot about the dull ache radiating from the back of his skull and felt his stomach turn upside down instead. He made eye contact with Sam and, on seeing the mixture of pain and confusion and something unnamable in her eyes, Daniel felt an odd sense of comfort in the knowledge that he could share these emotions with her.

"How old are you?" Daniel asked the question this time.

"I'm almost four." She seemed to be very well spoken for a three or four year old, he thought to himself, but also realized that he had almost no experience with children that age to really know.

"And when's your birthday?" he continued. The more information they had, the better equipped they would be to handle the situation. And perhaps finding out about Annie could help them get Cam and Vala back as well.

"October 29. Aunt Janet said that she'd make me a cake with monkeys on it this year." The little girl grinned ear to ear, obviously enjoying the "game" they were playing and happy at the thought of her cake. The name "Aunt Janet" echoed in his head, though, adding to the sinking feeling he had.

"Monkeys, huh?" Daniel asked, smiling at her the best he could despite the ever-growing knot in his stomach. "I've always thought monkeys were pretty cool."

Annie flashed him a brilliant smile, showing off her little baby teeth and a dimple in her right cheek. "I know, silly Daddy. We went to the zoo and saw them and you got me the fuzzy one to take home..." she trailed off slightly and looked down at her knees, the smile fading as she almost visibly pulled in on herself. "Aunt Janet said you weren't ever coming back though. She s-s-s-said y-you ww... we..." Her eyes teared up and Sam pulled her tighter and mumbled something reassuring into her hair.

"Annie, honey?" Daniel scooted closer, squeezing in next to them so that his bent leg was pressed along Sam's thigh and he could face Annie. He reached out to her, smoothing her hair back gently before he rested his hand on the side of her neck, his thumb unconsciously rubbing at her cheek. When she looked up, Daniel was struck by the sadness in her eyes and for a moment felt like he was willing to do anything in the world to take it away. As one fat tear slid over her bottom eyelid and ran down her cheek, he swiped at it with his thumb and reached out for her.

She launched herself back into his arms suddenly and let loose the sobs that had been threatening a moment ago. He instinctively held her tightly, murmuring wordless reassurances in her ear as he looked at Sam over the girl's head. Sam's gaze told him that she was having some of the same concerns that he was. All sorts of scenarios were running through his head - all of them bad. When so many coincidences piled up, they usually weren't coincidences at all in their line of work, and it wouldn't be the first time that one or another of their enemies had decided to use a child against them. Ancients, Ori, Nirrti, Loki, and even the Re'tu, all ran through his head as possibilities - but he was fast approaching the conclusion that this wasn't just a lost, mistaken child who had made an innocent mistake about the first two adults she encountered.

Daniel looked at Annie's curls, holding her close as she cried, and looked up at Sam hoping she had some idea what they should do. Sam's expression practically mirrored his own, concerned, confused, and cautious. As they both looked from Annie to each other, their thoughts were once again in tune with each other. Their expressions, gestures, and silent shrugs let them both acknowledge the few things that were currently clear: Annie fully believed she was their daughter, she was obviously distraught, whomever had been taking care of her before she appeared here likely had little idea where she'd gone, neither of them had a clue how this could have happened or who she might really be, and neither of them was willing to do anything that might further upset Annie. Obviously, they would have to be very cautious about their interactions with her in order to avoid causing her further distress, but he had to get some answers from her or they wouldn't be able to help her at all.

After a couple minutes the sobs died down and Annie was more whimpering than anything else. Daniel gently eased her away to sit in his lap so he could see her. "Annie, we have a couple more questions we need to ask you, okay? Do you feel calmer now? You're safe with us and we won't let anything bad happen to you, alright?" He placed a finger under her chin and raised her head up to make eye contact. He watched Annie watching him, wondering what she really thought of all this. She blinked at him a couple times, then looked over her shoulder at Sam.

Sam was running her hand over Annie's hair. "We'll take care of you, alright sweetie? Just take a deep breath to stay calm, and it'll be okay," she murmured.

"Okay," Annie said, taking a few great hiccupping breaths as she tried to calm down.

"Okay, Annie, do you remember where you were and what you were doing right before you saw Daddy here?"

"Umm," her brow scrunched slightly as she thought about this, and Sam was struck by how very similar it was to Daniel's familiar thinking expression. "I was in my room coloring. Aunt Janet was making breakfast, 'cause I could smell pancakes."

"Was anyone else there?" Daniel asked.

Annie shook her head. "Cassie's gone to coll-edge," she drew out the word, putting emphasis on the second syllable as if to emphasize its importance. "She can't decide if she's gonna be a doctor like Aunt Janet or a," she slowed down, thinking carefully about the word, "a-gro-phys-ical-ist like Mommy, but Aunt Janet says she'll be good at them both."

"I'm sure she will," Sam said, trying not to smile too broadly at the way she'd mangled "astrophysicist" and thinking back on several conversations she'd had with Cassie about that very subject. Cassandra had learned a great deal of medicine from living with Janet for seven years, but early on, she'd also demonstrated a keen understanding of wormhole physics and loved to watch Sam work on her various projects and astronomical theories. Cassie - the Cassie she knew - was currently pre-med. But the little girl was talking about Janet as being very much alive, which meant that whatever was going on, things were different in Annie's memories. The last time she'd seen Janet popped into her head, along with the reminder that it hadn't been her Janet, but one from an alternate reality. Which gave her an entirely new avenue of thoughts regarding what could be going on. The child obviously knew them (or at least, a version of them), but it was far too early for them to know if it was some kind of elaborate hoax, or alternate timelines, or something else all together. While Sam had originally thought the child mistook them for someone else, and then began considering all the possible ways this was a trap, she was now getting the strong feeling that this was something else entirely. As she pondered this, she recognized a sense of relief and joy at the idea that this could be a relatively innocent situation. The idea of Annie being a trap set by their enemies was not sitting at all well with her, but an unexplained transfer from an alternate universe would be much easier to deal with, at least on an emotional level.

"Annie," Sam's consciousness finally caught up with her and she had to ask a very pertinent question. "Do you live with Aunt Janet?"

Annie immediately sobered, and managed, in a way Daniel had thought only Sam could do, to look simultaneously sorrowful and confused. "Yes, Mommy. Of course I do. Mr. General and Aunt Janet made sure nobody could argue with them about it. They said you both had papers, like letters, that said I was supposed to live with Aunt Janet."

Sam and Daniel looked up and met each others' gazes. They obviously had a problem, and she was fairly certain that it involved an alternate reality of some sort, but Sam didn't have the first clue how to deal with it, or how to explain things to Annie. And she desperately wanted to know what had happened to their alternate selves. She glanced down at the wavy blonde hair of her daughter, taking a moment to mentally note how natural it seemed to think of her that way. That was a surprise, and one that triggered a longing she thought she'd left behind. Now that more of it had sunk in, she found herself looking at the little girl trying to see features that might explain further. She certainly had her hair - Sam knew from family photos that her own hair had been curly when she was a small child. And the girl's eyes were blue like hers were. But the shape of her face, and the angle of her nose, where those more like Daniel's? Or was she just seeing things because she thought they ought to be there?

Daniel watched Sam looking at… at their daughter, he supposed… and tried to get a handle on his own feelings. For once in his life, Daniel felt as though he couldn't think. He was so overwhelmed and surprised by the situation and the myriad of emotions and thoughts it was causing, that he couldn't seem to settle on any one train of thought. He did know they would need more information, and he was very curious about that alternate reality anyway.

"Annie, can you tell us why you don't live with us anymore? Do you know what happened?" Daniel asked, and Sam winced slightly. He must have seen it from the corner of his eye because he shrugged a shoulder as if to say "what else did you want me to do?"

Annie looked suspicious, and Sam quickly fumbled for an explanation for the question, silently thankful that she hadn't started crying again. "We've had some weird things happen to us lately, and we don't actually remember all of it. We were hoping you could help us figure things out."

She relaxed a little - still confused, but obviously wanting and willing to believe what they were saying.

"We all went to the mountain," she said to Daniel, "just like always and you dropped me off in Ms. Linda's room."

"Ms. Linda?"

"My preschool teacher? She's the one that teaches my class, but there's others that have the littler kids and the older kids. And sometimes we all play together. It's cool that we all have moms or dads that work together in the mountain." She paused for a second, then continued. "When it was time to go, you didn't come get me like you were supposed to. All the other kids went home, and I waited with Ms. Linda and then Cassie came and got me and took me to Aunt Janet's house. She said that you had to work longer, like when you go on trips and so I had to stay there with them like I do when you leave, except this time you weren't expecting it."

"Does that happen sometimes?" Daniel asked.

"Uh-huh. I have a room there, and Aunt Janet makes things like pancakes and skeksis with sauce and if it's a weekend sometimes she lets me stay up and watch movies with her..." Annie looked stricken for a moment. "Except I'm not supposed to tell you about the staying up late part cause you and Mommy make faces and tell her not to even though sometimes you let me do that too at home and you always know when you come get me, anyway..."

"It's ok, hon. Staying up late sometimes is ok. What else happened?" Daniel gently rubbed her tiny back, hoping it would help keep her calm as she related these unpleasant memories. Sam felt her heart breaking for this little girl who could have been her daughter in another world, or rather, who apparently _was_ her daughter in another world.

"Aunt Janet picked me up early one day, and Ms. Linda looked real sad when she said bye to me. Aunt Janet was crying, and when we got home, she t-t-told me that…" She was quivering now, and tears had begun to run down her cheeks. "that you were d-dead. I asked her what that meant and she said that you were gone away, forever."

The room was silent except for Annie's sniffles and quiet sobs. Sam considered their highest priority questions, presuming there was no malevolent alien trick here: How and why was Annie in their reality now? And just as important, how were they going to get her back home? Sam stubbornly pushed away the thought that she didn't want to send Annie back home, and was thankful to have her thoughts were interrupted when Annie took a deep breath and began talking again, this time rather quickly, almost running some of her words together.

"I told her that you would come back, and that you were okay and that the people making up the stories about you were gonna be sorry, cause Daddy's a space monkey like Uncle Jack said and so he's magic and he can't die, and Mommy can fix anything and you'd take me back home." She stopped to breathe and cuddled back closer to Daniel, who sat there with shadows in his eyes and Sam wondered if he was thinking about the time right after his own parents had died. At least this little girl had been lucky enough to still have people around her who cared about her.

"Aunt Janet told me that I was gonna live with her from now on because of the papers you left, and she said I wouldn't be in our house anymore, and Mr. General came to talk to me and tell me how good you were, and Uncle Jack came to visit and I told him too about how you weren't really gone forever because it couldn't be true and he should know you wouldn't go 'way like that." She paused to take a deep breath, but started speaking again before either of them could formulate a response to her anxious ramblings. "We went home," she looked at Sam now, silently imploring her to understand, "and I got my favorite stuff to take to my room at Aunt Janet's house. And I took the fuzzy monkey Daddy got me from the zoo, and every day I told the monkey that he needed to bring you home, or take me to where you were lost so that you wouldn't be lost anymore, 'cause you always said that if you went 'sploring and we were all together we couldn't really be lost, and that's what love does." She'd gotten excited enough about her speech that her tears had stopped.

Daniel looked around the room, and back at Annie, and finally came to what seemed the only viable conclusion. "We'll have to figure out the rest of this after we get home with her," he looked at Sam, hoping there wouldn't be an argument about taking a strange child home or wondering if she was another System Lord's trap. Oh, the Goa'uld hadn't been a serious problem in quite some time, but Daniel would never forget how they'd found Cassie, and how he'd thought Sam would die with her. Nevertheless, he knew, deep in his soul he just knew that Annie wasn't a trap. She was an innocent child who'd lost her parents much younger than he'd lost his own, and was somehow here in his arms, calling him Daddy.

Sam felt herself release a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. The tiniest part of her was sure Daniel would find some logical explanation for this child, and though she couldn't bring herself to admit it yet, even to her own consciousness, she deeply wanted to take Annie home and be her Mommy. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. "I think you're right," she finally said.

Sam unfolded herself and stood up. She held a hand out to Annie and helped her out of Daniel's lap so that he could stand up too. "But before we can go anywhere, we still need to figure out where Cam and Vala ended up-"

No sooner were the words out of her mouth than they all heard an ethereal giggle and the two team members in question reappeared in the room.


	2. Chapter 2 Aggregate

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_I was horribly remiss in not thanking those who beta-read the first chapter. I struggled with it for quite some time, and the final draft you read includes revisions and additions that are there only thanks to CyberMathWitch, Azhure, Amaranth Traces, and Poetheather (who listened to me talk out the problems for months). Thank you all!_

_I would also like to thank Poetheather for her continued help, advice, and support. I do hope that I can keep the flow of the story going and get future chapters out with less time-delay. Life fell apart on me this summer and I'm only now starting to get back to something that resembles normal. Thanks for continuing to read!_

**Chapter Two - Aggregate:**

_(noun) a collection of items gathered together to form a total quantity _

_(in Buddhism) refers to a category of sensory experiences _

As soon as she realized she was back in the room with the others, Vala looked down, checking her clothing, her pockets, only barely resisting the urge to count her fingers and toes. It wasn't that she thought something was missing, though considering the company she'd had seconds ago, that was a distinct possibility. She felt … different somehow, as if some intangible change had occurred and she was unable to identify it. She heard the giggle and looked around at the stone walls, trying in vain to determine where it originated. Finally, she looked at Cam, noting that he seemed even more confused than she was, and that he was looking at Daniel and Sam. They stood near the middle of the room, as if they'd been walking toward the entrance, but the surprising thing was the child holding onto Samantha's hand. "What in Tartarus is going on here? I get whisked away to parts unknown and you all just stand around playing with the local children?" She paused momentarily, but didn't notice the stern looks from her teammates before she began questioning herself distractedly. "Actually, we haven't seen anyone since we got here. Were there even supposed to be any children around here? No, I'm sure I remember that SG-13 said the place was deserted, so where…" She looked closer at the trio in front of her. Sudden realization hit her, along with a pang of jealousy. Somehow, beyond all she understood, she knew that child was the product of Colonel Carter and _her _Daniel. "Huh."

Cameron Mitchell hadn't been happy about watching his friends disappear, and he wasn't happy about the events that had followed, finding himself in a very similar room talking to a dead man. Oddly enough, though, he wasn't particularly happy about the supposed dead man and the other room disappearing when he found himself back where he'd started. Much like his experience with the memory device he'd taken to a dying Bryce (no matter how much the ought-to-be-dead-Bryce said it was the other way around), he was beginning to lose track of which things were reality and which weren't. He'd just gotten somewhat comfortable talking to Bryce and was actually enjoying the conversation when he'd heard some echoey giggle and was suddenly watching Vala pat herself down as if she'd lost something that shoulda been attached. He looked around the room for Daniel and Sam and was surprised to find that they weren't busily transcribing or translating the wall carvings. They weren't diligently working to bring him back from wherever he'd gone. They weren't even jumping up to welcome him back from the unknown. No, they were just standing there with a toddler in tow, and judging by the looks on their faces, something big had happened. He ignored Vala's first very loud and frustrated statement, but did tune in to her self-directed musings about where the child came from if there were no people on this planet. Oh boy, he could tell things were about to get real fun. He looked at Vala as she placed her hands on her hips, looked at Carter, Jackson, and the kid, and released a single syllable in her ever-eloquent way, "Huh." Honestly, that pretty much summed things up for him, too, but he figured as one of the ranking officers of the team, the only one not involved with the kid right now, and the one "technically" in charge, he should get a little more information.

"Sooooo…" he waited until both Sam and Daniel had looked up at him before continuing, allowing his innate curiosity to come through with full force. "Who's the kid?"

"Well, uh, you see she just… I mean, we were going to…" Daniel stammered a bit, trying to find a way to let Cam know what was going on without saying things that might be too confusing or upsetting for Annie. He certainly couldn't lead off with '_Oh, she's from another reality and thinks we're her dead parents, so we're playing along until we can send her back home and take all her hope away.'_ No. That wouldn't be a good explanation.

"Oh, for cryin' out loud," Annie said, completely oblivious to the surprised looks and stifled laughs of her parents when she uttered that oh-too-familiar phrase. "Did Cam hit his head too? You boys are so clumsy sometimes." She let go of Sam's hand and slowly walked toward Cam, watching his facial expressions the whole time. "Uncle Cam? It's me, Annie. Remember? I see you whenever you come over to visit Mommy and Daddy? You took me to the park one time and I skinned my knee. You thought Mommy was gonna hurt you for that."

Cam couldn't help but smile at that. It sounded just like the reaction he'd have in such a situation, if, of course, Sam Carter _had_ a child, which last he checked, she most assuredly didn't. He looked over Annie's head, making eye contact with the "mother" in question, and determined that they didn't want to upset the girl and playing along would be best. He shot a glance over to Vala, hoping she'd get that message as well, and bent down closer to eye level with the little girl.

"Oh, yeah, I remember Annie. And your knee is all better now, right?" he winked at her, "'Cuz I sure wouldn't want to get your Mommy upset about it again." Cam was rewarded with a big smile, complete with slightly crooked baby teeth. He had a feeling this was going to make for one very interesting briefing with General Landry, especially since he couldn't help noticing, even in the dim light, the actual resemblance between this little girl, Annie, and Col. Carter and Dr. Jackson, whom she apparently believed to be her parents.

Vala watched the exchange with interest and quickly decided that helping out with this situation would be much better than ruminating on the experience she'd had after being moved or beamed or whatever they called it here. "All right, everyone, it's been a while since I had breakfast. Why don't we go back to camp and have some lunch, and then perhaps Annie could help me find some extra wood for tonight." She smiled at Annie, "this place gets a little chilly in the dark, and we don't want to get too cold." She hoped that, wherever this child had come from, whatever memories she had or was given, that Annie would know her, too, and wouldn't think this out of the ordinary. She began to worry when the girl just looked at her, as if pondering whether or not she wanted to accept the invitation.

Finally, Annie nodded decisively – Vala had seen that mannerism before – and walked toward Vala with one hand outstretched. "Mommy, Daddy," she said as she slid her tiny hand into Vala's, "you coming? Vala's right. And I didn't get my pancakes, so my tummy's hungry."

Daniel nodded. "We'll be along shortly, sweetie. You just stay close to Vala. You can help her get lunch ready for everyone, okay?" Annie nodded and left with Vala, jabbering happily and trying to skip on her way out. The three remaining teammates waited silently for several minutes after Vala left with Annie, partly from the shock of all that had happened, and partly to keep Annie from overhearing anything.

"So, uh… I hate to repeat myself," Cam spoke first "but, who's the kid?"

"Apparently, she's ours, or rather, another reality's Sam and Daniel," Sam said. "We got a little information from her. It seems the other versions of us died a little while back, and she's living with Janet Frasier."

Cam shook his head, thinking back to the various SG-1 teams that had come through the gate during his first year at the SGC. It was still so strange to think that there were places where he'd never joined the SGC, places where people were still alive and even places where people weren't – like him. He couldn't get caught up in that now, though. Whether it was a hallucination, wishful thinking, or an alternate reality, he hadn't brought a toddler back with him. It seemed this little girl, Annie, was going to have top priority until they figured out who she really was, where she came from, how she got here, and how to get her home again.

"Well, as dark as the nights are around here, I think we got two choices." He held one hand out, thumb extended, "We gather some more intel after lunch, bunk down for the night, head back to the Stargate in the morning," Cam extended his pointer finger to signal the second option. "Or... we pack up after lunch, head straight back to the gate, and try to sort all this out."

Daniel furrowed his brow in frustration. "As much as I'm sure we need to get Annie back to the SGC and start working on a solution to this, I think we'll have better luck if I can get some more information from this room. The..the carvings on the walls, the scanning device... these things must be related somehow, and if there's more about the Monkey King, or other Taoist ideas, it might give us some clue as to what's happened."

"So, you really think this advanced alien race, one of the four great, has some kind of roots in China?"

"Why not?" Daniel moved back to the wall, running his fingers over some of the markings there, a familiar reverent expression on his face. "We know the Goa'uld heavily influenced Egyptian culture, some of the Alterans, or the uh, the Ancients, became key figures in various European mythologies. The Nordic gods came directly from the Asgards. I've even considered the possibilities of the Nox as influences on both Tibetan Buddhism and certain aspects of Native American Shamanism. Particularly the Dineh healing rituals and their non-aggressive leanings and interaction with nature." He turned back to Cameron and Sam, taking his glasses off and gesturing toward the wall with them. "These symbols couldn't be simple coincidence – not after all we've seen throughout the galaxy. The Monkey King, or at least a very similar figure or archetypal image, is depicted down there," he pointed toward the corner where he and Sam had been sitting earlier, "and I suspect once I've studied this more I'll discover that he's mentioned again and again. My preliminary findings suggest this part," he tapped one earpiece of his glasses against the wall, "might be Furling for Monkey King."

Cameron nodded, seeing that Daniel was clearly voting for heading home tomorrow. Nevertheless, it took him and Sam another ten minutes or so to convince Daniel that the carvings would still be there after lunch. Finally, they all headed back to camp to see that Vala and Annie had set out some MREs and Annie was getting impatient. In the full daylight, it was even easier to see the resemblance to Daniel and Sam, leaving Cameron even more confused about the situation.

As the group sat down to lunch, they followed an unspoken agreement to pretend there was nothing unusual about the child in their midst. They ate in peace, talking casually about things completely unrelated to their experiences of the morning or the Furling structures. Annie talked a little about a friend at her day-care, and rambled some about her favorite books and activities. Cam voiced the idea of taking a trip to see his parents soon, and Daniel told the others about a DVD he'd watched recently. It was a pleasant lunch, but they needed to get back to work. As he finished eating, Daniel pondered the best way to proceed for the afternoon. There was no need for everyone to be in the room while he translated, and he certainly wouldn't focus as well if Annie were in there, since he was still pondering her presence here as well as his own reaction to her.

"So, I was thinking maybe Annie would like to explore a little while I'm working this afternoon, but I'd like to have Sam work with me in the building, since she's had some exposure to Furling technology and such. Would you two mind hanging out with Annie for a while?"

"Wait, you're saying you want to go off and work and leave us here to hang out and have fun?" Cam smiled at Annie, "I think we can do that!"

Daniel just smiled and could easily see why Annie thought Cameron was a fun 'uncle' figure. "Vala, you'll let Annie keep you out of trouble, right?"

"I don't get in trouble" Vala said. "And I shouldn't have to defend myself to you anymore! Nevertheless, I'd be happy to stay with Annie. We'll find all sorts of fun things to do, won't we?" Annie's look expressed a mixture of interest and trepidation.

"Sure," she smiled, albeit a bit hesitantly. "But I'm 'posed to let Aunt Janet know where I am."

Daniel realized that he hadn't even thought about what Janet must be thinking. Ostensibly, her youngest child, inherited from her late friends, had disappeared from the house before breakfast. He wished there were some way to let Janet know what was going on, but he didn't even know how they could connect to another reality on purpose, and certainly didn't know how to find out which one this Janet lived in. Not wanting to confuse or frighten Annie, he smiled and tried to reassure her. "We don't have a phone here, but we'll try to let her know just as soon as we can, okay?"

This seemed to be enough for Annie, who simply nodded before getting up to look around camp a bit, as if trying to decide what she wanted to explore first.

"I will have to leave Annie in the capable hands of Vala for a bit, so I can, uh, go check on the MALP," Cam said. He knew it was nearly time for their scheduled check-in from the SGC, but he didn't want to confuse Annie, since Daniel had just told them they didn't have a way to reach Janet. He left camp with Sam and Daniel, splitting off to head toward the MALP after about 10 minutes.

Cam arrived at the MALP at 1350 and spent the next ten minutes pacing back and forth as he pondered what he would tell the General. He checked the camera and radio on the MALP, assured himself that the signal was clear, and paced again, waiting for the call from the SGC.

"Colonel Mitchell," Walter's voice came through the radio at precisely 1400 hours. "This is the SGC. I have General Landry waiting for you."

"Thank you Walter. General. How's everything going back home?"

"All is well here, Colonel. Is the mission going well?"

"Yes, sir. Daniel's discovered that the ruins are definitely Furling, and he's possibly more excited than he was on his first trip to Atlantis. He headed back in after lunch to get more photos and take more notes."

"Excellent. No problems, then?"

"Ahhhhh, not the usual type, sir. We have run into something a little… unexpected, though."

"Any danger? Do you need backup?"

"No, sir. Backup won't be necessary for this. I think Carter & Jackson have it all under control for now."

"I sense there's something you're not sharing with me, Colonel."

"Well, sir, there's nothing you can do on your end, and we'll be heading back in at first light tomorrow. We can debrief you on the whole thing then."

"All right, we'll see you tomorrow, scheduling your return for 1000."

"Yes, sir." Cam thought about Annie and the fact that the child wouldn't be able to keep pace with the rest of them. "Actually, sir, could we make it about an hour later? We, uh, may want to make the walk back a bit more leisurely." He smiled, and hoped the General wouldn't ask questions. Cam really just wanted to see his face when they walked in with Annie tomorrow.

"Done. SGC out."

Sam and Daniel had been working quietly for nearly an hour. Daniel was carefully taking pictures of various sections of wall, getting paper rubbings of some symbols, and making notes in his journal as he went. Sam alternated between watching him and checking for any signs of technology. She'd found a small crystal that she thought might have been responsible for the scan, but she couldn't figure out how it activated or what its purpose might be. She'd also checked over the archway, looking for anything they might have missed the first time, anything that resembled the "lock" she and Daniel had mentioned earlier, or some other sign of technology.

All the while, she was thinking about Annie and the incredible events of the morning. She'd had enough experience with alternate realities to pick up the signs quickly. Of course, her first few alternates had involved the other Sam being involved with the other Jack O'Neill, which only fueled the silly crush she'd developed on the man early in the program. After a couple years, she'd managed to get over that, and realized that while her feelings were deep, and potentially more than she should have for a commanding officer, they were not romantic feelings. Jack was a part of her family, as were the rest of the team. It wasn't the ideal relationship in the military because caring deeply for a team member could cause trouble in the field, but it happened more often than not. Sam didn't think it was possible to live through such life and death situations with the same few people and not develop a deep love and respect for each other.

When an alternate SG-1 team created a vortex and brought multiple teams to the wrong reality, Sam had discovered that alternate versions of herself were involved with other people. She had, of course, learned that one Sam Carter had a long relationship with Martouf but later ended up with someone else. She'd also learned from another Sam that Narim left the new Tolan homeworld with her and they made a life together after the rest of his people were destroyed. Sam had never been more surprised than when she went to another reality and found that she had previously been married to Rodney McKay. Now, however, she was faced with a completely different kind of surprise. Daniel? He was her best friend, certainly, and was part of the close familial bond she had with the team, but she'd never considered him in a romantic way. He was a fixture in her life, and he definitely belonged there. She'd connected with him immediately and mourned him when he ascended, (not to mention every other time he'd "died"). She'd missed him when she went to Atlantis and was thrilled to learn that they would be working together again upon her return. Now she couldn't help but wonder what had been different in Annie's reality that brought them together.

Oh! She hadn't thought of the fact that maybe they _weren't_ actually together. Maybe that other Sam had just wanted a child and Daniel had been a donor. They were such close friends it wouldn't be difficult for them to share the parenting even without a romantic relationship. Sam was so lost in her thoughts as she gazed unseeing at the archway to the far right of the entry room, that she didn't realize Daniel had come out and was walking around. She jumped in surprise when he touched her shoulder and let out a nervous laugh as she consciously stopped the reflexive grab for her weapon.

Daniel had been watching Sam for a couple minutes and was fully aware that she was so lost in thought she hadn't seen him there. He thought, mistakenly, that he could touch her shoulder without startling her, and at her reaction, wondered where her thoughts had gone to pull her so far from reality.

"Hey. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she smiled. "I was just trying to figure out if there was anything different about these arches. I'd like to see what the other rooms do, but I'm a little hesitant to go in there. Who knows what would turn up?"

"True. We don't want to take an entire preschool class back to the base with us." Daniel chuckled a little at the thought of General Landry's reaction to something like that. His reaction to Annie would be interesting enough. "Speaking of which, I'm guessing Annie doesn't know about the gate. Do you think she'll handle the trip okay? I don't remember us ever taking someone that young through."

"Physiologically, she'll be fine. The reintegration process won't be any different for her than for us, so she won't really feel a thing. Now, I can't imagine what she'll think when she sees it. I just hope it doesn't scare her."

Daniel nodded, then quickly plopped down to the stone floor and removed his glasses. He'd been thinking while he worked and quickly decided now was the time to bring this up. "Sam, we need to talk."

Sam just nodded and sat in front of him. "I know."

They sat there quietly for a few moments, both unsure of where to start now that they'd brought this up.

Sam took a deep breath and started with some of her thoughts. "I'm hoping once we get back to the base, we can recreate the circumstances we used to send all those other SG-1 teams home a few years ago. My biggest concern, though, is that she didn't seem to arrive here through a wormhole and we'll have to make sure the SGC in her universe will accept her arrival there and notify Janet. Of course, since we can't dial Earth from Earth, even an alternate Earth, we'll have to check in with the Beta site, and since she didn't come through a wormhole, I'm not sure if connecting through a singularity will actually allow us to connect to the correct reality. To be completely honest, it's just a shot in the dark, which could potentially make the situation even worse" She looked up at Daniel, worry evident in her eyes. "What are we going to do if we can't get her home?"

"Uh, Sam, I understand your need to fix the problem presented to you, but, I was just wondering if you've thought about any other aspects of this. Like the, the fact that she's here in the first place. As you said, she didn't come through a wormhole. How did she get here? Why did she appear when she did? I still think this room has something to do with it, and that means we're dealing with more than a person in a different reality. We're dealing with very old and highly advanced technology capable of shifting people through time and space and alternate universes. Not only is that unheard of, even for us, but is there a reason behind it that we need to figure out?"

"I don't know, Daniel." She looked down, absently brushing the dust away from a joint between two stones. "I hadn't thought much about that. I guess I was just falling into the habit of being the scientist and fixing the problem." Daniel noticed that she wasn't meeting his eyes, and wondered what else she'd been thinking about that she wasn't willing to share with him. On the off chance that it was similar to his own thoughts, he decided to leave it alone for now. Whatever impact would come from learning there was an alternate reality where they were a couple, they could deal with it later on, and preferably back on Earth.

"I have a lot of information from here, but I'll definitely need some of my sources from the SGC and even from my apartment in order to start the translation. I'm also interested in whatever you can find out from that crystal you found in the ceiling. I think you're right about that being what scanned us, but I'm not sure how the rest of it happened." He looked out, realizing that the room was growing quickly dimmer as the sun set. "We should get back to camp. I didn't realize how late it was getting."

Sam followed his gaze and nodded in agreement. His stomach churned with mixed emotions as they both stood up, gathering the last of their gear, and headed out, toward their tents, their teammates, and – unreal as it sounded, their daughter.

Annie had enjoyed herself that afternoon with Vala and Cam, but she was very glad to see her parents returning to camp that evening. As soon as they got close enough that she could see them by the firelight, she glanced at Vala for permission. Vala's slight nod and smile was enough to set the small child running at breakneck speed squealing "Mommy, Daddy!" as she went. Thankfully they had some warning and were both able to avoid being knocked over. Sam anticipated the approach as soon as she heard Annie's voice and reached down to scoop her up, letting her rest comfortably on her left hip. Daniel reached up and tousled Annie's hair from beside her, and Annie leaned toward him while holding tightly to Sam's neck, near-blissful in the fact that she was between her parents.

Vala and Cam related the adventures of their afternoon and how well behaved she was.

"She was very helpful in selecting firewood to keep us all warm tonight," Vala mentioned, beaming with the smile of a proud Aunt. Daniel and Sam exchanged a glance, amused at how quickly their teammates seemed to have been captivated by Annie.

"And! She knows the difference between aggregate rock and whatever those non-aggregate rocks are called," Cam said.

Daniel paused at that statement and looked at Cam. "What?"

Annie giggled and gave Daniel a very knowing look "I tried to 'splain _all_ rocks are aggergit."

"That's right!" The three of them reached the camp and sat down before Daniel turned to Cam to continue Annie's explanation. "You see, aggregate is just a term for a collection of items, or in this case, minerals and crystals and even other rocks, that form a new whole. Then the rocks are actually split into three categories; igneous, metamorphic, and…"

"And sedimentary, my dear Jackson." Sam interrupted. She grinned at Daniel when he turned to look at her, mouth still slightly open from being in mid-sentence.

"What?"

Annie giggled again. "It was funny, Daddy."

Vala looked around at Daniel, Sam, Annie, and Cameron, and finally decided she was out of her element. "Muscles could make sense of this," she muttered.

Annie nodded her head, sat up very straight and in the deepest voice she could manage said, "Indeed," which resulted in the four adults looking at her in surprise and laughing.

They were still chuckling as they began to get dinner, though it took three tries to find an MRE Annie would eat (not that anyone could really blame her), and they barely finished dinner before the sky darkened significantly. They chatted around the fire for a bit and Cam told a couple stories to entertain Annie, which thrilled her to no end. She began yawning soon after and snuggled into Sam's side, which Sam took as a sign that it was bedtime. It had been decided earlier that Vala and Sam would bring the child into their tent, so Sam led her over for bed. "I want you and Daddy to tell me a story together," she said sleepily as she took off her shoes and climbed into Sam's sleeping bag.

"Okay, let me go get him."

As Sam left the tent, she heard Annie muttering "shoulda been here anyways. Silly daddy, he has to kiss me goodnight." She smiled and called out to Daniel.

"What is it," he asked, wrapping his jacket tighter as he left the warmth of the fire.

"She wants a joint bedtime story, and you forgot to kiss her goodnight." Sam couldn't help the smile, she found Annie to be so precocious and adorable. Daniel smiled, too, and nodded his consent.

"So, you know any good stories?" he asked as he climbed through the tent flaps.

"Well there's…" Sam stopped as she entered behind him, seeing in the light of the battery powered lantern that Annie had already dropped off without her story. Daniel and Sam stood there just looking at her for a moment in silent wonder. Finally Sam spoke again. "I've always known the world is a strange place and you can never know what to expect, but I've had to re-evaluate the meanings of those statements since I joined the SGC, and now it looks like I'll have to do it again."

Daniel nodded, then squatted down by the sleeping bag and gently brushed Annie's hair back before kissing her on the forehead. "Good night, bambina."

The team decided to use the time after Annie went to sleep comparing notes from that morning. They hadn't yet had an opportunity to talk about things without Annie around.

Cameron and Vala seemed most interested in Daniel and Sam's experience, so they quickly related the beginnings of that morning's events, through the point when Annie tackled Daniel.

"We realized after she gave us her name that she must be from an alternate reality, and we went along with her because we didn't want to upset her further." Sam glanced over and smiled at Vala, "and thank you for picking things up so quickly. I'm sure that made things easier for her."

"Well, now I think I did a good job, too, since she thought I had a head injury, but I have one important question to ask…" Cameron paused, making sure he had everyone's attention. "Was it just me, or did she sound a little like General O'Neill?"

"Just a little, once in a while." Sam agreed. Either this girl was indeed from an alternate reality and had grown up around O'Neill, Cam, Teal'c, and the rest of them, being influenced by their speech and mannerisms, or she was a very carefully crafted … Sam couldn't finish the thought. Deep in her gut, much as she had known Cassie would be okay, she knew Annie was no creation or trick. Somehow, she'd been transported to their reality and was now relying on her long-lost parents to take care of her.

"…thought the surprise might be fun." Cam was saying. Sam had been so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't hear Cameron's brief recounting of his check-in with Landry.

"Sorry, what surprise?"

"Annie, of course." He grinned at her. Vala seemed only barely interested, but Daniel had a familiar crease between his eyebrows that meant he was concerned, or at least pondering possibilities.

"Are you sure that's the best idea, Cam?" Daniel glanced toward the tent where Annie lay sleeping before he continued. "I mean, they aren't quite used to us wandering through the gate with extra people. I don't want to surprise them, and have the defense team scare Annie. We don't know if she knows anything about the program, but I'm guessing she doesn't. The trip through the gate might be frightening enough, without her facing guards and guns on the other side."

"Oh, come on, Jackson. You really think Landry's gonna order defense against a 3-year-old?"

"Well, probably not, but… Sam, what do you think? Will it be a problem?"

"I think if we tell them before we go through that all is well, we'll be fine. She certainly doesn't appear dangerous, and if we're walking through with her, I'm sure the General will realize quickly that we've determined she's no danger."

"Well, that's that, then. Oh, and we're expected back at 1100. I figure we'll need a really early start since Annie won't be walking as fast as we usually do."

"What about you two? What happened after you disappeared from that room?" Sam was desperate for clues to Annie's appearance and hoped their stories might help.

Cam was suddenly uncomfortable, and Vala seemed quite irritated and went quickly into avoidance mode. She fluttered about the camp picking things up and doing some preliminary packing in the limited light of the fire, obviously attempting to avoid the conversation, but at the same time drawing attention to herself.

"Vala? Why don't you have a seat here and tell us what happened?"

"Well, Cameron, if you must know, I won't have a seat because someone's got to get this camp cleaned up, don't they? And I'd rather not talk about this morning because it was pointless and has nothing to do with the mission."

"Uh, Vala," Daniel approached her slowly, trying to find a moment when he could catch her and hold her still. "I think it might have something to do with that building, and Annie, and whatever that technology is." He finally caught her just as she was about to pick up more firewood that they wouldn't actually need. "You see, the more we can learn about this, the more chance we'll have to understand how it works and possibly how to get Annie back home."

"I don't see how the twisted and utterly pointless meeting with someone who clearly does not exist could possibly help you send a child to an alternate reality. I may as well have spent that time with a dead person, for all the sense it made!"

Cam perked up at this. "Well you know, it's funny you should say that, because I _did_ spend that time with a dead person, and all I got for it was being told I'm the dead one."

Sam looked up at them both, an idea just beginning to form in her mind. "If the Furlings did what I think they did, that's some very interesting technology. I just don't know if we'll be able to reverse it."


	3. Chapter 3 Alterations

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_Thanks again to Poetheather1 for checking through this for me, listening to my ideas, suggesting some fun scenes, and making sure the military stuff was right. _

_Many many thanks to all the readers, whether you review or not. I love knowing that people are reading this, and I presume you're enjoying it (because why else would you read it?). I do love feedback, so please feel free to review and tell me what you think._

**Chapter Three - Alterations:**

_change: an event that occurs when something passes from one state or phase to another_

_r__evision: the act of revising or altering (involving reconsideration and modification)_

Jack was had both hands in his pockets and was rocking back and forth on his feet when the elevator finally reached the 27th floor. He stepped out just as Walter Harriman came around the corner.

"Morning, General. The General's in his office."

Jack nodded, "Chief" and thought of how many times he'd wondered if Walter were psychic. Maybe he was a step up the evolution ladder, starting out like the Ancients had. It made sense that if the Ancients were human and evolved enough to Ascend, that current humans could start doing those things too, didn't it? He shook the thoughts from his head as he approached Hank's door. Might as well leave those questions to the scientists.

"Hank! Hope you don't mind me dropping in like this."

General Landry looked up from his desk, smiled, and stood to give Jack a warm handshake. "Not at all, Jack. It's been a while. I thought you'd finally started to forget about this place."

"Nah, you know me. I'll have to keep my nose in it. You know I ran this place once."

Hank chuckled. "So I hear. Now, what can I do for you today? It's great to have you here, but I know it's not just a social call."

"Well I got to thinking about that mission you sent SG-1 on, the potential Furling planet, and I wanted to check in on it, see them when they return, see if Daniel was right about it. Besides, I spent a while on that moon of theirs. I might actually recognize some stuff. I could be helpful," he said with near sincerity.

Hank held back a smile and glanced at the clock. "Well, you've got great timing. They should be gating home in about 20 minutes. From what Colonel Mitchell said yesterday, Dr. Jackson is quite sure about the ruins and very excited about the information there. He did mention that there was a little something unusual going on, but said it was nothing to worry about; Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson had it under control."

"Well, yeah, they would. Those two could do anything they set their minds to. D'you mind if I sit in on the debriefing? The folks back in Washington'll want to hear about it eventually."

"No, don't mind at all. Based on their check-in, it'll be a routine return. We'll probably debrief in a couple hours, after they've gone through medical and settled in. You could get some lunch."

"I'd like to hang around, surprise them when they get back."

"Meet them in the gate room, just like old times?"

Jack smiled. "Yeah, I kinda miss that," he said, following Landry to the observation level and then continuing down to the gate room.

He stood at the end of the ramp and watched the ripples while the control room verified SG-1's IDC. Moments later, Colonel Mitchell stepped through and addressed the control room where Landry stood. "We've got an extra person; it's okay." Landry nodded, and Mitchell looked down at Jack.

"Well, we just got surprises all around," Mitchell said with a grin.

Jack barely had time to wonder what he meant when Daniel stepped through the gate, quickly followed by Vala. Daniel started slightly when he saw Jack and immediately looked worried. He headed toward Jack, glancing back at the gate briefly.

"Jack, hi, uh, no time to explain now, but"

"Hi Daniel, nice to see you…"

"Yes, of course, but Jack, I…"

Jack was no longer listening as his attention was drawn to the gate by Colonel Samantha Carter, carrying a pre-school girl. He hadn't expected the extra person to be so… small. "Daniel," he said slowly, as he watched Sam and the child come toward him and noted that their hair was nearly the same color. "Haven't we talked about the type of artifacts you're allowed to bring home?"

Annie giggled. "Unc'l Jack, I'm not a arty-fack!"

Jack looked closer at the girl, trying to register what she'd just said. "Um, do I know you?" He glanced at Sam and Daniel, then back to the girl, quietly noting the odd resemblance. The girl gasped.

"Oh for crying out loud," she said, making Jack feel as though something in his brain just twitched.

Landry's voice came over the intercom, "Welcome back, SG-1. I'd like to debrief as soon as you've all been cleared by Dr. Lam. And, uh, I'll send someone to take care of our new visitor."

Jack was still watching the girl's face and saw her frustration turn to concern after that statement. "Mommy," she said, adding to Jack's confusion, "I'm getting scared. I think all the boys are under a spell. They don't know who I am."

"Oh, Annie! No sweetie, it's okay. I promise, they'll be fine, and we'll figure it out and get it all taken care of, okay?" That seemed to help. Annie just hugged closer to Carter, but no longer appeared to be on the verge of tears.

Jack was quickly getting the idea that someone believed this tiny child called Annie was the offspring of Colonel Carter, and by the looks of the child and the way Daniel was acting, Jack would bet Daniel was believed to be the father. Trouble was, Jack was having a hard time determining exactly who believed this. He remembered the incident with the alien known as Lieutenant Tyler and wondered if this was a similar situation.

Just then, the doors opened and Chief Harriman walked through, heading straight over to Carter.

"Hi Annie" Walter said as if he'd known the girl all her life. Jack then started wondering if he'd managed to step through a quantum mirror without realizing it.

Annie did appear to perk up, though. "Hi Walter!" She smiled really big and only Jack, Daniel, and Sam were close enough to hear her whisper "He recconized me!"

"How're you doing?"

"Okay," she said, her curls bouncing just a bit as she nodded her head.

"Good! Good. I'll come see you after the doc's done, okay?"

Annie just nodded again.

Jack and Daniel were watching this exchange and Jack was just about to ask what was going on when Daniel shooshed him and held up a finger. "Just… one, wait one… minute" He pursed his lips as Jack had seen him do so many times before. That expression, those mannerisms, they always mean Daniel was trying to prevent a fire and worried it wouldn't work.

Jack watched as Daniel stepped toward Carter and the girl. "Hey sweetie. I'm gonna walk ahead with, uh, Un-Uncle Jack," he glanced over at Jack pointedly before continuing. "And I'll meet you and mommy at uh, the infirmary, okay?" Annie just nodded slightly but Jack hadn't missed the relieved look on Carter's face. He didn't have time to think about it, though, because Daniel immediately turned around and grabbed Jack's arm on the way out of the gate room.

"Daniel." Jack said as he looked from Daniel's face to Daniel's hand still around his bicep, leading him quickly toward the infirmary.

"Jack." Daniel sighed.

"Daniel."

"Jack!" He stopped walking and turned to Jack. "I will explain it, but we have to walk." He held eye contact, making Jack wonder just what could drive Daniel to this level of intensity. Jack just nodded, trusting his gut and his experiences that Daniel needed to be in control right now.

Daniel saw the understanding and let go of Jack's arm, looking as if he hadn't realized he'd been holding on to it. "Come on" he said, and walked the last few yards to the elevator.

"I don't want to have to go through this too many times, so I'd rather just explain it once when we get to Dr. Lam. It's going to be tricky enough as is," he muttered that last part and Jack knew he was mentally working out this problem. He found it interesting, sitting back and watching this, seeing how much Daniel had changed and grown since they first met.

Once they reached the 21st floor, Daniel took off, just shy of running toward the infirmary, another first for Daniel – he usually tried to stay away from there. Jack just followed, not unhappy about the speedwalking because the faster they got there, the faster Daniel would explain things, and the not knowing was just about killing Jack.

They finally hit the infirmary and Daniel made a beeline for Dr. Lam. "Excuse me, Dr. Lam?"

She looked up from the chart she'd been reading and smiled. "Yes, back from your mission. Is the rest of the team back?" She looked behind him, expecting the other SG-1 members to walk in any second.

"Yes, please, I need you to listen. This is urgent."

"Of course." She glanced at General O'Neill and who just shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "What is it?"

"Okay, Sam Carter is going to walk in here in a minute with a little girl. That little girl appeared in the ruins and believes Sam and I are her parents. Based on the ruins and several other things, all of which will be further explained at the debriefing," he said before Jack could ask, "we think she's right. Our belief right now is that Annie was somehow transported from an alternate dimension and the Sam Carter and Daniel Jackson in that reality are her parents."

Jack raised an eyebrow and saw Dr. Lam's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. He then immediately, and without warning, imagined Janet Frasier's reaction to a story like this, and felt a familiar pang of sorrow at her death.

"We need you to take your cues from her. If she seems to recognize you, please act as if you know her. Her name is Annie, and she's almost four. Of course, she'll need the standard tests since we brought her from offworld, but we'd also like you to run a DNA sequence to verify this theory. Well, the uh, theory of her parents, at least. Which would, uh, suggest…" he looked at Jack and back at Carolyn, and just as he opened his mouth to continue, he heard Annie's voice from the doorway.

"See, Mommy. I tole' you I me-rembered how to get here," she was saying as she and Carter entered the room. Daniel waved at them slightly before turning back to the conversation.

Daniel leaned in just a bit and spoke just above a whisper. "Also, uh, in her world, Sam & I are dead and she lives with Janet and Cassie." With a nervous smile, he turned away from them and went to greet the rest of the team.

Carolyn and Jack watched everyone's interactions with Annie for a moment. Finally Carolyn spoke. "It's not often one deals with this situation."

Jack started to nod, and then registered exactly what she had said. "Not often? Does that mean you've dealt with it before?"

She smiled at him, "Not in this reality, but who really knows, right?" She quickly crossed the room toward SG-1.

"Hello folks. Nice to see you all back. Cam, Vala, if you'll take beds one and two," she motioned toward the usual post-mission exam area. Cam and Vala nodded and did as told while Annie leaned against Sam like she was nervous about something.

Dr. Lam smiled at Annie¸ then looked at Daniel and Sam. "Why don't we bring Annie to bed four? Did one of you want to stay with her for the exam?"

Annie raised her head at this. "You know me?" She looked confused and quickly turned to Sam. "Mommy? How does she know me?"

Dr. Lam quickly stepped forward, shaking her head. "No, Annie, I'm sorry to confuse you. I just know who you are. Dr. Jackson and General O'Neill told me you came back from a trip, and you'd be coming in to make sure you're still healthy."

Jack smiled as he saw Daniel breathe a sigh of relief. Annie relaxed visibly and the new _family_ headed off to bed four. Jack sat down in the familiar second chair of the waiting area.

There was something different, yet familiar about Daniel, and Jack couldn't put his finger on it. It was a new aspect of his personality, something Jack hadn't seen in Daniel before, and he was going to have to keep an eye on it.

He was still sitting there five minutes later when Walter showed up and sat next to him. Jack waited a few minutes and then decided to ask "How did you know about the girl?" He kept his voice low and glanced at the bed currently holding the girl in question.

"I saw her reaction to you and heard what she said to Colonel Carter. I figured playing along would make her feel safer, and asked General Landry if he'd like me to watch over her during the debriefing. He, uh, he wants me to debrief her, too." Walter looked over at Annie and then back at Jack. "I'm not really sure how to do that, sir. I don't want to let the General down, but…"

"You'll do fine. She's a toddler. Ask her a bunch of questions and hang on to all the information you can get from her. Daniel says they think she's here from an alternate reality where she's an orphan and lives with Janet Frasier. That might help."

Walter nodded, "Thanks." Walter then got lost in his own thoughts and the two men waited together in near-complete silence until Dr. Lam pronounced Annie's exam complete.

Walter stood up as Annie came toward them. "Hey there Annie. Listen, your mom and dad have to go to a meeting, so I thought I'd see if you'd like to come with me for a snack? They've got blue jello."

"Yeah!" she turned to Sam, "Is that okay?"

Sam smiled, thankful to the powers that be for Walter's quick thinking and adapting skills. "Yes, we'll come get you after our meeting."

Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman loved his job. He loved the unexpected quality of it, having spent nearly thirteen years wondering what would come next. He'd seen members of the SGC switch bodies; he'd seen robot versions of people; he'd seen the take down of many aliens who posed as gods; he'd even seen Jonas Quinn display precognitive abilities – honestly one of the things that had intrigued him the most. Walter had always been able to roll with the punches pretty well, especially when there was no actual punching involved. It was probably that trait that led General Landry to approve his idea of taking care of the mystery child while SG-1 was debriefed. Walter was a little surprised, though, by the General's parting words, "It wouldn't hurt to uh, debrief the girl, too."

How to debrief a child – Walter's newest challenge.

"Did your check-up with Dr. Lam go well?"

"She said I'm still healthy." Annie looked pensive, "Is that lady new? I never saw her before when I was there with Aunt Janet."

"Um, she's not really new, but she doesn't work here when your Aunt Janet is here." That was close enough to the truth, right? Dr. Frasier had died months before Dr. Lam joined the SGC. He was hoping to not have to answer too many questions for Annie just yet, though. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and confuse or upset her.

"So, I didn't know you were coming back with your, uh, mommy." General O'Neill's help had been priceless, but Walter couldn't help trying to figure out the puzzle further. He had a dozen different ideas for how this child came to be, who she was, and why she thought Colonel Carter was her mother, but he would have to ponder those later. If she was truly an orphan in her reality, this would be a stressful day for her.

"Me either. Um, is Aunt Janet here? I bet she's worried."

"No, she's not here today, but I'm sure they'll get in touch with her just as soon as they can. I, uh, I don't know how to reach her right now."

"Okay." She walked through the cafeteria line with him, looking around the room nervously.

Walter picked up a fluted cup of blue jello covered in the usual plastic wrap and handed it to her. "Do we need to get anything else?" he asked.

Annie answered him absently, "Water, please," while staring intently at the cup of jello. She ran one finger around the top edge of the cup, tracing the scalloped edges that flared out slightly like flower petals. "That's new."

"What's that?" he asked as he grabbed two bottles of water and headed toward the tables. "It's just like every other cup of jello they have."

"No," she said, pointing to the edges. "They didn't have flower ones last time." She held the stem of the jello cup tightly, playing slightly with the edge of the plastic wrap. "It's all weird, Walter."

"What's weird?" He walked past several tables, trying to avoid other people who might ask questions. He was just thankful Annie was caught up in her own thoughts. It meant less possibility that other people would stop them and upset her.

"People are acting weird and all the other guys hit their heads and how did Mommy and Daddy get back?"

"Mommy and Daddy?" So, one of the guys on SG-1 was her "Daddy" apparently. He wondered if it was Colonel Mitchell or Dr. Jackson. They shared a resemblance anyway, one that he wasn't sure many people noticed. "How did they get back from where? The camping trip you were on?"

"No, they s'plained that to me. We came through that shiny curtain and it made a shortcut home. But before, Aunt Janet said they were gone an' couldn't ever come back." Her voice quickly got fainter and shaky during that last sentence, and she again seemed to find her jello very intriguing.

"Here, Annie, have a seat so you can eat that jello," Walter pulled out a chair for her, having picked a quiet table in the corner so they wouldn't be seen by many people. "Now tell me, when did your Aunt Janet tell you this?" He handed her a spoon and sat down before he opened the bottles of water.

"They were at work," she sniffed a bit and looked up at him with watery blue eyes. "And something bad happened, and Aunt Janet and Cassie said I'd live with them now 'cause Mommy and Daddy were d… gone." She looked off to the side for a moment, and scrunched up her brow in thought, much like he'd seen Dr. Jackson do many times. "That was a oops, right? It was a big oops and they were just stuck for a while and now they came back. Like that time Uncle Cam got lost for a while."

Uncle Cam – that confirmed Walter's suspicions about her father, or, uh, her supposed father? Presumed father? "Um, that might be right. I'm sure we'll know more after they talk to the General."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with this idea, and dove into her jello. "Mr. General was real nice when they were gone. He helped make it so I could live with Aunt Janet." She giggled slightly, "sometimes he calls me Annie-Banannie, cuz I like bananas."

Walter smiled at that and filed the information away for the General. "Annie, you said all the boys hit their heads? What did you mean by that?"

"Daddy asked me who I was, and then Uncle Cam didn't know, and then Unc'l Jack and Mr. General didn't know. You recconized me, though." She grinned at this, which helped Walter know he was doing okay. "Mommy and Daddy said some weird stuff happened, so they had to ask me questions."

"Yes, there are a lot of questions around here. And I'm sure everyone wants to know what happened so we can make sure it doesn't happen again. Can you tell me anything else about how you got to your Mom and Dad on this trip?" Walter realized Annie was the something unexpected Colonel Mitchell had mentioned during their check in yesterday afternoon, and wondered what the General was thinking of the official debriefing right now.

That debriefing was rather larger than Walter's, and both General Landry and General O'Neill found themselves shaking their heads in wonder at the things they'd been dealing with since being brought into the Stargate program. "It says something, I'm sure, that after some 13 years in this program," Jack said, "after all the things we've seen and done and dealt with, I can still be so surprised by a kid coming here from an alternate reality."

"Actually it is quite surprising, sir" Sam said. "All our experiences with alternate realities have involved the quantum mirror…"

"Which we don't have any more" Jack interrupted.

Sam just nodded and kept going, "…or the spacial rift caused by the alternate SG-1 which opened the door to other teams following them. This one is completely different. I honestly think it would be better to start at the beginning." Of course, the meeting had begun with the most prominent question on the General's mind – who's the child and why is she here – but that answer couldn't be fully explained without the entire story.

Daniel agreed and decided he might as well begin the recounting of their mission to 629. "We examined the outside of the central building and I gathered some basic details that I think will be helpful in determining the purpose of the building itself, and then yesterday morning I was looking at the three archways. They looked remarkably like the ones from Maybourne's Utopian planet, and shortly after we stepped inside, we were, uh… scanned."

"Scanned? By what?" General Landry asked.

"Well, we're not entirely sure. We later found a small crystal that may have been the source of the scan, but we haven't yet determined the purpose or exactly how the technology works," Sam answered. "The strange thing is that after the scan, Vala and Cameron disappeared."

Cameron chuckled a bit and sat up straighter in his chair. "Yeah, I can see where it would look like that from your end, but from where I was standing, you all disappeared. I wandered around that room for a good five minutes tapping on walls, looking at the scribbles," he ignored Daniel's frown at that description. "I was just about to head outside when I heard a voice behind me." Cam shifted in his seat, feeling more than a little nervous about this debriefing. It had been hard enough to tell his teammates last night and he wasn't looking forward to the reaction from the two Generals now waiting for more.

He cleared his throat and forced himself to continue. "So, uh, I turned around, and found Bryce Ferguson standing behind me. Colonel Bryce Ferguson."

General Landry raised a finger to interrupt. "Just a minute. I remember that name. The young man you got special clearance for, the one with the shrapnel. He was a Major, if I remember correctly, at the time of his death."

"Yes, sir. You do remember correctly. Though the Colonel I spoke with said I was a Major when I died. He wasn't close enough to save me from that blast. I spent months in the hospital and finally died from the injuries. He joined the test flight program and led the defenses in Antarctica when Anubis attacked. He came to the SGC about a month later and has been the head of SG-2 ever since."

"I'm sorry, son, I think you've left out an important bit of information," Landry said. "Are we talking about another memory device?"

"No, sir. I didn't have my memories altered, and neither did he. If we're understanding it right," Cam paused, glancing at the window to the gate room. "I mean, uh, from what we, what¸what _Carter_ came up with…" he gestured across the table toward Sam, offering a tiny smile. "Well, she tells it better, sir."

Sam glared at him, sighed, and turned toward the General again. "Sir, once we were all back together and able to share our experiences with each other, I began to see a pattern. Daniel and I experienced the appearance of Annie, the child who knows us as her parents. She talked about a life that has some obvious similarities to our reality, and of course, some obvious differences. Cameron and Vala individually experienced the appearance of people they knew, or" she paused and gestured toward Vala, who was pointedly _not_ contributing to the conversation and looked quite irritated, "at the least, a physical similarity to someone they knew."

General Landry glanced at Vala, but urged Carter to continue.

"In both those cases they were talking about lives with obvious differences and basic similarities, just like Annie. These are all reminiscent of other times that we've been faced with people from alternate realities, like the time we had 16 teams here. My theory is that something in the scan or connected to the scanning technology somehow brought these people to us from their timelines. The biggest question we have right now is, why would it send Ferguson and Jasec back, presumably, to their timelines, but leave Annie here?"

Both Generals were quite stumped by that question, and Jack found it particularly unusual that neither Sam nor Daniel offered a possible answer. After a few moments of silence, General Landry took a deep breath and looked around the table. "So, what do you propose as our primary goal at this point?"

Sam and Daniel exchanged a glance before Daniel replied. "Well, sir, we have some co-existing goals. We need to find out why Annie's still here in case it has something to do with how to get her home. If I focus on the information we gathered and start deciphering, it may tell us exactly what that technology does and how to send Annie home."

Sam's sharp intake of breath drew Jack's attention. She didn't look happy about this, but there was something else, something Jack couldn't quite put his finger on.

"We also think, sir, that it would be," Sam paused, as if she were still seeking just the right words, "in Annie's best interest if she could stay with one of us. She's been through a lot, and while we're not the parents she remembers, she doesn't know that, and well, sir, we're the closest thing there is." Her wry smile at that statement wasn't quite enough to cover her nervousness, at least not to those who knew her well.

General Landry nodded. "I think we can arrange for that, though it will probably need to be here on base, at least for now, until we have a better handle on just what's happened here. Vala, why don't you tell us what happened to you? Who were you talking with?"

Vala swallowed hard and fidgeted with the pen in front of her. She really didn't want to tell this story, but she'd known it was coming eventually. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths in the hopes of gathering some invisible strength to get her through this retelling without crumbling to a mess like she had last night.

"I, uh," she cleared her throat and looked at Cameron, wishing he could tell the rest of his story first. "Well, like Cam here said, the light went passed us and next thing, I was standing there alone. I wasn't sure if I'd gone somewhere else, or if the rest of them had, but I started looking around for any kind of clue that might help."

As she told the story, she began to feel as if she were there again, in that stone room, wondering what had happened to her teammates.

Vala looked around the room, instinctively gripping her weapon as she searched for any sign of the others, any hint as to where they went. She took a slow deep breath to steady herself, and in that silence, became aware of someone breathing in the shadows. She turned quickly, pointing the P-90 toward the column where the sound originated.

"Vala?" It was more of a whisper, as if he were talking to himself instead of to her, but she knew that voice and felt a surge of anger toward the owner.

"Jasec. What have you done?"

He stepped toward her, and as he came closer she could see that he'd changed. When she'd seen him during his brief time on Earth and watched him fly off in a cargo ship, he hadn't looked quite so… soulful. There was an air of defeat about him that she didn't remember even from his most failed scams.

"Vala? Is that really you?" Jasec took another tentative step forward and Vala could see the disbelief on his face.

"Hmm." This was more in response to her thoughts on his acting abilities than any type of response to him. "What are you doing here?" She emphasized each word, hoping he would give some sort of explanation that would help her get her teammates back and get them all out of here. She was beginning to seriously dislike this place.

"I don't know. I was having lunch and I…" He paused, a strange expression coming over his face. "Am I dead?"

"Not yet," Vala answered with a deadpan expression.

"Not yet? But I am dying? Am I lying unconscious somewhere?"

"What?" His questions were making less sense all the time. "You're standing right here in front of me, blathering away as usual, and the reason you're not dead yet is because I'm waiting until after I find out how you did this before I shoot you for it!" She waved the P-90 around in a mild threat.

What Vala was markedly unprepared for was the expression of sorrow and pain on Jasec's face.

"I'm sorry, Vala. I didn't do anything. I don't know what you're talking about, but I had nothing to do with being in this room. I don't know how you got here, or where you came from, but it sure is good to see you. I figure I must be hallucinating, because how else could I be seeing you years after you were killed by Qetesh's Jaffa?"

"I'm sorry, I was _what?_"

"About four or five years ago, Qetesh's Jaffa held an uprising and killed you and the Goa'uld. I heard about it from the leader of the free Jaffa. Of course, I didn't tell him that the host he spoke of was my daughter."

"Jasec, I think you've finally gone round the bend." She had never told him about her time as a host to Qetesh. He'd been gone for a year before she was captured and the next time she saw him was after the Tok'ra freed her. She was confused that he knew, but that certainly didn't explain why he'd think she'd been killed. She'd just seen him three years ago, while they'd been fighting the Ori.

"Vala, I know this is far too late, but, I want you to know I'm sorry. I've been stupid and I wish I could change things. I just… wait, how did you get here, exactly?"

"I was here with SG-1, gathering research, and then suddenly they were gone and you were here. And I don't know what you're talking about or how you even know about Qetesh, but I can assure you I wasn't killed. The Tok'ra extracted the symbiote from me years ago."

"I guess you don't remember, then. I saw you after you'd been taken. I guess you were about 25 or so. You'd been her host for years by then, and, well, do you remember being controlled by Qetesh?" She nodded. "She, uh, made some things very clear to me. I tried to tell you then. I tried to help, to make it right."

"Jasec, you're not making sense. I was released at 22. I was only host to Qetesh for, oh, just under five years. The longest five years of my life, let me tell you, but I'm quite sure you weren't around." He'd never really been around when she needed him, why would that have been any different?

"I don't know about the Tok'ra you mentioned, and I don't know why you remember things differently, but in my life, my daughter Vala was taken by Qetesh, and when I came home from a job, she was long gone. That job was… well, I'd been gone for years, really. And I shouldn't have. I should have been working closer to home, spending more time with you, her. Anyway, nine years ago I saw you when I was working out a deal with some miners. They said you were their god, Qetesh. I guess she could see all your memories, because she knew who I was."

Vala had heard about the SGC's experiences with alternate realities and began framing the situation as if this were an alternate Jasec, just to keep her head from exploding. "So you saw your version of me while she was a host, and later, she was killed by the Jaffa?"

"My version of…? Vala, I don't understand." He brought one hand up to his head and began talking to himself. "I've fallen asleep and I'm dreaming. That's it. I've wished for a chance to explain, to fix it. Now I'm dreaming that it's finally come."

Vala watched Jasec curiously. It was definitely Jasec, no question about that, but he was acting rather strangely and she had no idea what to do about it. Before she could say anything else, he started talking again.

"Okay, here goes. I've never been like other people. I didn't have a skill like the farmers and tailors; I didn't have the background or training for most jobs out there, but when I was with your mother, and after we had you, well, I had to provide for you somehow, didn't I? I used the only skill I knew, and then, well, when I started taking those longer trips, I was trying bigger projects to get more money so we could be together more. I thought if I made a lot of money, everything would be okay.

"And then when I came home and you were gone," he paused, looking at her with a small sorrowful smile, "I thought you'd headed off on a project of your own. Everyone did. I thought that meant you had learned some great things from your Dad and you were out there having a grand time. And then years later, I think it had been about seven or eight years since I'd seen you last, and your mother hadn't heard from you either, I was working with some miners who lived under Qetesh's rule. They mentioned her from time to time, but I didn't pay much attention. I was," he looked down, then, as if ashamed of what he was about to say. "I was trying to sell them some gizmo, said it would help them mine the naquadah faster."

"Of course you were," Vala said, though she was so confused by his behavior that her statement didn't carry the disdain it normally would have.

"Anyway, I got captured, take to Qetesh, and she was you. She recognized me from your memories and … the things she said. Oh Vala, I never knew how much it hurt you. I told you stories and brought you trinkets when I came home, and I never knew that you missed me and resented me when I was gone. I never knew that you'd have been happier if I worked closer and was home all the time. She told me things. Qetesh told me that you'd grown up feeling as if I didn't care about you, didn't want to know you. She said you just pretended everything was fine when I was around because you didn't think I'd understand. Vala, she didn't hold back, told me things you never would have said, though I would have listened if you had."

Vala wasn't sure what to think of this. He was reciting her feelings, things she'd never shared. Those thoughts, those feelings, were hers and hers alone. They weren't intended to be shared, and certainly not with him.

"She said it hurt you to feel like a guest when I was around, to feel like you were making all the effort in our communications. I wanted to set things right, of course, but then someone interrupted her and Qetesh killed him. She didn't just shoot him. She used that hand thing they have, and she tortured him. I watched his suffering and her smile. She was enjoying it completely, and then I knew that if she could talk about your feelings, you could probably see what was happening. I knew you would hate to watch this person suffer. No matter what skills you might have picked up from me, lying, thieving, whatever, I knew you weren't a cold-blooded killer. And I could just imagine how unhappy you'd be about someone inside you making all your decisions. You didn't like it when your mother decided what dress you'd wear when you were a toddler."

Vala couldn't help but smile slightly at that. It was true, Qetesh's control over her had grated on her independent nature, making the entire ordeal even more difficult in a very superficial way.

"Anyway, I finally managed to escape, and it was a few years after that when her Jaffa killed her and joined the Free Jaffa led by Teal'c."

"Teal'c?" General O'Neill's voice cut through Vala's memory. "So in that reality, T never came back to Earth after the Jaffa uprising?"

"Apparently not," Vala said, blinking quickly and wiping her right eye. "Aaaaand, I explained to him that my life had been a bit different than that, that I was released by the Tok'ra, took care of myself for a time, and finally found my way here where I made real friends and have become quite happy with my life. Oddly enough, he seemed to take some sort of comfort from that. He said, 'It's good to know you're safe and happy somewhere, even if it's not real in my world.' And then he reached out to hug me, which I would have avoided if I hadn't been so confused, but before I could complain, he was gone and the others were back."

She offered a tight, closed-lipped smile at the others before looking back at the table, glad her story was over. She still hadn't determined how to deal with it or what to think.

General Landry cleared his throat. "Well, if there's nothing else I should know," he paused and looked at all four team members, "I'll put you on stand-down for a week so you can focus on the situation. Teal'c is due back tomorrow. If there's anything he can do to help, I'm all for it. Oh, and, Walter volunteered to watch the girl, so I asked him to uh, debrief her, if you will. See what he could learn from her side of things. I'll make sure you all get a copy of that report."

"Thank you, sir." Cam "We'll get on it. I'd be happy to figure out if there's a reason behind this."

Vala muttered to herself and everyone turned toward her. When she realized they were actually paying attention, she smiled, embarrassed. "Oh, don't mind me. I was just… well I'm sure there was a reason. Yes."

Jack shook his head and smiled while Daniel closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes," Daniel said. "And come to think of it, we may want to contact the Nox if possible. Since we have no way of contact Ancients, and the Asgard are gone, the Nox are the only ones left who might be able to help. The races did work together at one point in time."

"All right, we'll send a message to them. Is there anything else you'll need right away? We'll meet again tomorrow at 1600 to see if there's been any progress." He smiled at them, ready to close the debriefing. "I suppose I'll need to know whether I'm supposed to 'know' Annie or not. I do hope we can sort this out with the least trouble for her. Little tyke shouldn't have to deal with things like this at her age. We'll need someone to go out and get her some clothes and such. Colonel Carter, Dr. Jackson, I'll have one of the VIP quarters arranged so there's room for one of you to stay with the girl."

Daniel nodded and Sam smiled, "Yes, sir," she said. "Based on Annie's reaction after you seemed not to know her, I believe you're the 'Mr. General' she told us about. We'll need to determine when we're going to tell her the truth. We can't just let her believe she's still at home if she's here much longer."

Daniel put a hand up to his forehead as he often did when he was thinking something through. "I was, uh," he looked up at Sam, "I was thinking about that too. I'd like a day, maybe, just one, to start the translations and work on these theories, but I think that's as long as we can go without triggering more confusion for Annie. Anything she sees or hears that's different from her world is going to bring up a question for her. The more of those questions we can't answer or have to lie about, the harder it'll be for her to trust us and feel safe."

Sam spoke up quickly. "I agree sir. Annie's very bright. She'll easily pick up on our nerves, our hesitations, the inconsistencies. We couldn't even take her to the base daycare, which is what she's used to, because no one there would know her. They might not even be the same kids! Without complete isolation, there's no way to keep her from knowing things are different, so we might as well tell her sooner than later."

Hank nodded. "All right. Now you've just got to figure out how to explain the multi-verse to a three year old."

"I could do it," Jack said. His statement drew everyone's attention, and Daniel looked particularly amused. "What? I usually have to get things simplified for me, so I can help simplify it for her."

"Yes, Jack." Daniel bit back a laugh and knew by the slight deepening of Sam's dimple that she was also trying not to laugh.


	4. Chapter 4 Adaptation

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_This story just keeps getting more and more fun to write, and I hope you're all enjoying little Annie as much as I am. Many thanks to all my readers, and extra thanks to those who have offered reviews full of questions, ideas, praise, and appreciation. Endless thanks to Poetheather1 for continuing to read through these chapters, offer me suggestions and advice when I get stuck, and always supporting my writing time._

**Chapter Four - Adaptation:**

_(noun) Something produced through modification of an existing item or situation._

_(psychology) __Change in behavior of a person or group in response to new or modified surroundings._

Sam and Daniel walked toward the elevator in silence, both feeling somewhat grateful that the rest of the team was not going with them. They stepped in and Daniel pushed 22 for the cafeteria. He sighed as the doors closed. "So, did you want to stay with Annie? I mean, I figure we should both stay on base, but, in her room…"

"Yeah, that works. Though Annie seemed quite confused this morning that you and I weren't in the same tent. I hope she can adapt okay here."

"We'll work it out. She seems to be doing remarkably well, all things considered. I don't know that most kids would deal as well after finding parents previously thought dead." He looked down at the floor, thinking about in regards to his own life. When he spoke again, it was much quieter, "I don't know that I would have."

Daniel quickly got quite lost in his own thoughts. He'd suddenly realized that if they sent Annie back, she would be losing her parents again, and the thought left him feeling as though he'd been stabbed in the gut. He couldn't imagine putting anyone through that pain, especially not Annie. Sam placed a hand on his shoulder – for comfort, he presumed – but he couldn't bring himself to share these thoughts with her. He had to stay calm and this would be an emotional conversation. When the elevator dinged, he heard Sam take a deep breath before she squeezed his shoulder. He looked up, and was then confused by Sam's quick pace and the suddenly tense air about her. He pondered this for a moment and finally stepped out to follow her just as the doors had been about to close again.

He nearly had to jog to catch up to her, but when he finally did he grabbed her arm to stop her. "Sam, what is it?"

Sam looked at him, still amazed by how well he could read her. "I, uh, I'm not sure I'm ready to talk about it." She knew there was no point denying that she was upset, but she couldn't quite put it into words just yet, and as much as Daniel understood her, he probably wouldn't quite get the full meaning behind the incoherent cries and blubbering that was currently happening in her head.

"Okay, I can respect that," he thought about how she was nearly echoing his own thoughts of just moments ago. He hoped it would be easier to talk about once he figured out exactly how he felt about it, and for that matter, why, and could completely understand Sam's feelings in that regard. "But you're kinda radiating some pretty strong feelings right now. If you walk into the cafeteria like this, Annie will know something is wrong. Children are very quick to pick up on those things. Whatever it is, why don't we both just stop and take a few deep breaths and get ourselves calmed down before we see Annie, okay?" His hand slid from her elbow down to her hand, and she felt a whole new batch of confusion pour over her as her heart rate sped up and she tried to avoid looking at their joined hands. She smiled and nodded at him. Daniel always knew just what she needed.

The two of them moved to the edge of the hall, still holding hands, and silently closed their eyes and started breathing slowly and deeply. Daniel felt better after getting some more oxygen into his bloodstream, and felt he was calm enough to handle at least the next few hours. He nearly lost control of that calm when he opened his eyes and found himself staring at Sam while she continued breathing. Her lashes fluttered slightly on her cheeks as she kept her eyes closed and focused on the calming breaths. The rosy flush of her cheeks reminded him of other times he'd seen her blush.

Sometimes when accidental innuendos came up in conversation, he could see this same flush before Sam responded. Sometimes those responses were intentional innuendos as a joke, while other times she simply changed the subject. She'd really surprised him with a very bold comment once, nearly eight years ago, but blushed nearly crimson when she realized what it sounded like. Daniel smiled at the memory as he gazed at the curve of her jawline and the long line of her slender neck. In the back of his mind, he reminded himself that he was supposed to be calming down to interact with Annie, not having confusing thoughts about Sam.

When Sam opened her eyes, she saw Daniel glancing away, and squeezed his hand. "You are so right – that helped." She'd managed to get herself re-focused on the needs of the moment. She had to take care of Annie and try to avoid more trauma or confusion for her. Nothing else mattered at that moment. Annie needed her mother. _Annie's mother is dead_, Sam's inner voice reminded her. She sighed and shook her head in determination. Those thoughts wouldn't be helpful right now. She'd have to stay focused for Annie's sake.

Daniel glanced up and smiled at Sam. She seemed oblivious to his previous staring, which made it much easier for him to shake it off so they could go get their daughter. He let go of her hand, pushing his reluctance to the back of his mind, and nodded at her as he started toward the cafeteria doors again.

Walter watched as Annie peeled her banana from the bottom end instead of the stem as he'd always seen done. "Why do you peel them that way?" He'd finally realized it must have been about lunch time when they came through the gate because the jello wasn't enough for Annie. She'd already asked for a corndog and fries after her jello and was now having a banana, which she called "second dessert."

"Daddy teached me. He said it works better, and that's how monkeys do it." She smiled and took a bite of the banana, shaking her head side to side while she chewed. She'd been quite chatty, and Walter had managed to find out that Annie was very attached to her stuffed monkey but it was left at Janet's before she "found Mommy and Daddy." He'd also learned that she loved spaghetti, egg rolls, most fruits, and all things chocolate. She liked monkeys, dogs, and bears, but monkeys were definitely her favorite animal. She thought unicorns were cute, but didn't seem as enamored with them as many girls her age. She talked about living with Janet, and seemed to have made up her mind that it had been a temporary situation due to the "oops" of her parents' supposed deaths, and that now she would, of course, be living with them again. She told Walter about her day with Cam and Vala, and about the last time she'd seen Vala and "Muscles." Annie giggled a bit when she whispered that she caught them kissing, and Walter smiled, amused at the idea of Vala and Teal'c as a couple, which he was fairly certain hadn't happened in this reality.

Behind Annie, Walter saw the cafeteria doors open and Colonel Carter and Dr. Jackson walk in. They smiled at him and he waved back, which would have caught Annie's attention were she not still happily eating her banana, bouncing in a silent sing-songy manner with her eyes closed. He thought there was likely a song stuck in her head. He noticed Annie's parents watching her as they approached. She finally opened her eyes and saw that he was looking behind her.

Annie turned in her seat and her blue eyes opened wide with excitement when she saw her parents there. She laid the banana down and jumped up to greet them with tight hugs around their legs, first Sam's, then Daniel's. "I thought you would _never_ get done," she said impatiently. "Walter was fun, but I misseded you too much." She grabbed their hands and led them to the empty chairs at their table. Sam sat next to Annie, with Daniel across from her, with Walter. Annie happily picked up her banana again, started to take a bite, and then looked at Sam from the corner of her eye. "Oook." Sam giggled, recognizing that as her own childhood 'this is what monkeys say' vocabulary.

Without hesitation, she smiled at Annie, leaned toward her and replied "Oook." Annie seemed to think this was perfectly normal and proceeded to start on the second half of her banana.

Walter turned to Daniel and said "So, Dr. Jackson, Annie said you told her that's how monkeys eat bananas. Why is that?"

Daniel looked at Annie's banana, tickled to see that the stem was still intact. He gathered from Walter's comment that this was commonplace for Annie, and he was grateful for the subtle tip from Walter. "Oh, if you pinch the end and peel from the bottom, you can access the banana earlier without getting a smooshed tip like sometimes happen if you bend the stem over and the peel doesn't split quickly enough." Walter nodded, and stood up.

"Thanks for the explanation. I'll have to remember that the next time I have bananas." He smiled at Annie. "Thanks for keeping me company, Annie. Now I have to go see if Mr. General wants me to do any other projects today. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, bye Walter!" Annie waved. She turned to her parents as Walter walked away. "I got hungry and the jello was really good, but it was in a different kind of cup and that was weird, but the jello maded my tummy hungrier an' Walter gotted me a corn dog and he stole' some of my fries, and then he said I could get a 'nana cuz I was still hungry and I said it's a second dessert cuz the jello was like dessert before lunch." She paused very briefly to look around, then turned back to them and spoke a little quieter, "Walter said Aunt Janet isn't here today and I don't know that new doctor lady we saw. And how come I was staying with him instead a' Ms. Linda and my class? Is there a magic spell? Walter didn't want me to talk to other people. My banana was good, but can I has some milk? And maybe a cookie?"

Sam smiled at how fast Annie was talking, and glanced at Daniel as if to say 'you know she got that from you, right?' Daniel just smiled back and listened to the last bits of Annie's ramblings, subconsciously seeking the connections that led her from one thought to the next. At her request for more food, considering what she'd just admitted to eating, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Where are you going to put it?" he asked. He didn't think such small children normally ate that much. Annie's next words led Daniel to believe this was a question she was used to being asked.

"In my hollow leg, silly!" Sam and Daniel laughed with her at this.

"You know, Daniel, we haven't had lunch either. How about you go get something for you, and some cookies and milk for Annie, and then I'll get some lunch, too."

"Sure. Be right back." Daniel headed off toward the food. Sam watched him go, smiling, and turned to Annie who was swinging her feet back and forth and looking around the room in a slightly bored manner.

"When are we going home? Did you call Aunt Janet yet? Did other boys forgetted more stuff?"

Sam smiled. The girl certainly had plenty of questions, which Sam would normally be thrilled with because questions show curiosity and interest. In this case, however, the corresponding answers could upset a child that had already had an emotional time. Sam thought about Annie's questions carefully and considered the best way to answer them. "Well, we're not actually going home tonight. The General needs me and your Dad to work on some really important stuff, so you're going to get to stay on base with us all night." She was relieved to see Annie respond with excitement instead of fear or something worse. She'd hoped it would seem like a fun treat to Annie.

"Really? I can stay? All night? Am I gonna get to sleep in the vipp-rooms?" She emphasized the odd word, confusing Sam.

"Vip? You mean V. I. P.?"

Annie rolled her eyes. "I know how to do spelling. If s.i.p. is 'sip' and r.i.p. is 'rip' then v.i.p. is 'vip'. You guys only spell stuff I'm not 'posed to hear."

Sam nodded and tried to hide a smile. She was both impressed with Annie's spelling abilities and finding it incredibly adorable that Annie thought they were spelling things out when she heard them talking about work. She also found it important to note that this meant the Sam and Daniel from Annie's world did casually mention work around Annie. "Actually, Annie," Sam paused as the perfect response dawned on her. "We aren't allowed to tell people lots of things about our work, you know."

Annie nodded. "Cause it's _classy-fried_."

Sam nearly chuckled and felt her heart aching a bit at how special and precocious Annie was. "Yes, that's right. But the General just told us you can stay on base tonight, and that means we can tell you what V. I. P. means." She leaned toward Annie and lowered her voice as she spoke, careful to act like it was important secret.

She got exactly what she was hoping for. Annie was completely enthralled with the idea that she was getting special, secret information. Her excitement reminded Sam of herself, how she got so much joy from discovering new things, which then led Sam to realize that she was thoroughly enjoying this new thing – getting to know her daughter. Her heart jumped into her throat and she found herself grateful that Daniel chose that moment to return to the table. Annie turned to him, which gave Sam a moment to collect herself.

"Is it true Daddy?" Her excitement was quite obvious, but Daniel wasn't sure what she was asking about. His glance at Sam didn't help, especially since Sam looked a bit upset at the moment.

"Is what true?"

"Mommy said I get to know some _classy-fried_ stuff about the vips and I can stay in the mountain all night!"

Daniel smiled, grateful that whatever Sam had said resulted in this excitement. Her reaction could have been so much worse. "She did, huh?" He looked at Sam, who was blinking a little more frequently than usual. "You told her she can stay here? And are you sure she's ready to know that other stuff?" He acted like he didn't think Annie could handle it, sure that Sam had started them on a safe path.

Thankfully, Sam had managed to swallow the lump in her throat and blink away the sudden and confusing tears while Annie was talking to Daniel. She smiled weakly at Daniel. "Oh, yes. She can handle it. After all, if she's going to stay in a V. I. P. room, she's trustworthy enough to know what it stands for."

"Okay," he looked at Annie, noticing her intense interest. She wanted to know. She was yearning for information. It was something he knew not everyone had, but he was so glad to know his daughter had it. He cleared his throat, determining to save that line of thinking until later. "Well, it means Very Important Person, which means those rooms are saved for when Very Important People come to visit the base. Tonight, that means you!" A quick glance at Sam's relieved face showed him that he'd picked up exactly where she left off. He noticed that she seemed to be feeling much better, but thought another moment wouldn't hurt. "Sam, don't forget to get your lunch, now." He gestured to his tray and reached for Annie's milk.

"Right, lunch." Food would help, she was sure of it. Sam stood up, feeling slightly dazed as she watched Annie take the milk and squeal at the chocolate walnut cookies that Sam and Daniel both loved. As she went to get her lunch, she pondered the situation, thinking about what would need to happen for the next several hours. She needed to make sure that Annie was comfortable and happy, but she also needed to figure out why and how Annie was here. She knew they were supposed to be trying to send her home, but that idea was getting harder to stomach with every passing moment.

Sam absently grabbed a chicken salad sandwich from the display as she wondered if Annie liked chicken salad. _I'm her mother. I should know if she likes chicken salad,_ she thought. Of course, Sam understood that she wasn't truly Annie's mother, but she was having a hard time telling her gut that. Sam had always wanted to have kids, but by her late 30s she'd begun to think she'd never have the opportunity. She still wondered if that alternate version of herself had felt the same way and asked Daniel to be a sperm donor. On some level, that idea was less confusing than the thought that she and Daniel were actually married and in love in that alternate reality. That idea triggered too many conflicting emotions for Sam to sort out just yet.

She glanced over at the table where Annie was happily munching cookies and giggling at something Daniel had said. This was going to be interesting. She sighed and grabbed a bowl of grapes to add to her tray. They would need to act like everything was normal around Annie, but they didn't know what would be normal to her. They'd already picked up a few things, like her expectation of a joint bedtime story¸ but daily interaction, especially in a place Annie was familiar with, would have endless possibilities for little things to be different.

Sam picked up a bottle of water before heading back to the table. Thankfully, Annie seemed overall well-adjusted, and Sam hoped she would continue to adapt as well as she had been.

"…won't be back until tomorrow." Daniel was saying as she sat down.

"Who won't?" Sam asked.

"Oh, uh, Cam won't, right? Anyway, I think he's left for the day. Annie was just asking if he and Vala were still around."

"Yes, he said he was leaving, I think. Vala was going to shower and change."

Annie nodded, obviously not surprised about that.

Daniel smiled, "Yes, and she already asked about T, who is also due back tomorrow, but I think later in the day."

Annie looked very serious. "Was his trip a long time? I bet Vala misses him lots."

Daniel was confused by this statement. "Oh?"

"She likes him." Annie said in a tone that told Daniel she thought it was obvious. Thankfully her next statement let him know he hadn't triggered any other concerns for her. "Boys. They never know things like that." She rolled her eyes in exasperation and Sam couldn't help but laugh.

"That's so true, Annie." Daniel watched in a mixture of awe and confusion as mother and daughter shared a moment that made him feel this was completely normal and Annie did belong in their reality.

Walter didn't even realize he was smiling as he left the General's office. He'd filled General Landry in on his conversation with Annie, adding his own observations and suspicions from time to time. The General seemed quite satisfied and asked Walter to get some emergency clothes and toiletries from the supply storage, and a couple appropriate games, toys, and books from the base day care. He'd be having these things, and one of the bunks with extra bedding, set up in one of the V. I. P. rooms.

General Landry had also told Walter some of the full debriefing, primarily the part where Annie and her 'parents' would be staying on base for now, and everyone should act as if this was normal at least until the next afternoon's meeting. Walter wondered how, exactly, they were planning to keep Annie from wandering or asking questions. He could tell she was a very curious child, and the way she reacted to a different jello dish told him she knew details.

He gathered a tiny tunic-styled dress and a small robe, then made a mental list of immediate toiletries needed. Someone would need to get Annie some regular clothes by morning if she was supposed to think all was normal. He'd have to talk to the General about that once he got their room set up. Walter picked out a tooth brush and comb, reasoning that the Colonel and Dr. Jackson would already have toothpaste and such from their other visits overnight.

Stopping in the base day care, Walter watched some of the children getting their things and leaving, while others were still picking up toys or coloring pictures. It was nearing the end of the day for some, though he still had several hours on his own shift. He walked over to one of the day care teachers. "Hi, um, excuse me, Ms…"

"Linda" she smiled at him. "And drop the Miss. Only the kids call me that."

"Linda, thank you. I'm Walter, uh, Chief Harriman. General Landry asked me to stop by. We've got a young girl staying on base tonight, and he thought she might like some games and books to keep her occupied."

"Oh, sure. How old is she?" Linda turned and headed toward the storage shelves.

"She'll be four in a couple months, but she seems a little advanced for her age." Walter thought that might have been an understatement, but he tried to stay casual about it.

"Okay, I can work with that." She gathered a couple board games, a deck of Old Maid cards, some coloring supplies, two books, a set of jacks, and a soft grey teddy bear. "Because every little girl loves stuffed animals."

"Actually," Walter looked at the bear and back at Linda. "You wouldn't happen to have a stuffed monkey here, would you? She really loves monkeys."

Linda smiled, "That's so thoughtful of you. As a matter of fact, I think there is one, probably in that bin over there," she pointed at the last of the three bins filled with stuffed animals. I saw Suzanne playing with these earlier and she tends to sort them by color family. The monkey is brown."

Walter looked in the bin and was happy to find the promised monkey. He thought Annie would probably be happy to see it, even though it wasn't her monkey.

"Thanks for your help with this." Walter was grateful to see that Linda had produced a canvas tote bag that held most of the stuff easily. He added the monkey and grabbed the bag and the board games to continue on his way.

"Sure, let me know if you need anything else."

As Walter headed back to the V. I. P. quarters, he wondered if Linda might be able to help get more clothes for Annie. The girl would need regular stuff, and Walter didn't have much experience with the clothing needs of people that small.

Sam and Daniel walked down the hall with Annie diligently staying between them. She gently held onto one finger from each of her parents and was happily babbling all the way through the SGC. Sam smiled as she listened to Annie's chatter about joining her at work. "I could help you look in the teleph-scopes and see the Deep Space," she said. Her voice went up and down with every couple syllables, something Sam had begun to realize meant Annie was very excited about the topic at hand. "Do they have computers in the Deep Space? Or! Or, do they have," she paused a little, apparently searching for the words, "do they have cell phones so, so we can call them?"

"Well, I think even if they do have cell phones, it would be hard to call if we don't have their numbers, wouldn't it?" Sam wondered how long they'd be able to avoid answering so many of her questions. She didn't remember Mark's kids being quite this inquisitive at Annie's age, but then they hadn't been raised by two scientists. Sam had always been very inquisitive, and she knew Daniel had been asking questions all his life.

"Hey, am I gonna go to Miss Linda's class while you guys do work?"

"No, not today anyway. I think probably Vala's going to come hang out with you for a while, and then maybe we can have some popcorn and watch a movie after dinner." Daniel hoped the suggestion would seem normal to Annie, and a part of him felt quite frustrated at not knowing his daughter better, even though he knew that wasn't logical.

Thankfully, Annie seemed excited but not surprised at the idea. "I want the spicy salt on my poppy-corns!"

Daniel and Sam shared a glance over her head, both of them thinking about all the team movie nights when Jack had tried to convince them that popcorn was better with seasoned salt. Daniel usually wanted the extra buttery kind, and Sam liked the slightly sweet kettle corn best. Annie must have learned this from her "uncle" Jack. "We'll see if they have any here," Daniel said, "and we'll have to find out what movies we've got on base, too." He hadn't thought about that before making the suggestion, but he was sure they'd have something appropriate. "Should we see if Uncle Jack is still around? He could join us for the movie."

"Yes!" Annie pulled on both their arms as she jumped up and down a few times in excitement. "It can be a big movie night and we can have other peoples come too!"

"Well, let's not get too carried away. Our room isn't big enough for a lot of people," Sam said, smiling. She couldn't help but get caught up in Annie's enthusiasm.

They arrived at the V.I.P. room just as Walter was walking out. He stopped abruptly upon seeing them and smiled at Annie. "I was hoping I'd see you again this afternoon. I wanted to show you something." Daniel watched in wonder at how quickly Walter had taken to Annie and how comfortable she seemed with him. "See, I know we can't go get your favorite monkey from Aunt Janet's house tonight, but I didn't want you to miss him too much," he turned and re-entered the room, going to a twin bed that had been moved in for Annie. "So," he said as he picked up a stuffed animal from the pillow, "I borrowed this for you. He can stay with you while you're staying here on base, okay?"

Annie jumped up and down and ran to Walter, reaching out to hug the stuffed monkey. "Thank you Walter. This is Tiggsy; she likes to have tea parties and go 'sploring places." The adults in the room couldn't tell for sure if Annie recognized this particular stuffed animal, or was making it up as on the spot. She quickly moved to sit on the bed with Tiggsy the monkey and start talking about her adventures of the last couple days.

"Thank you, Walter. This is very thoughtful of you," Sam said. She'd seen a few other toys and games and knew that Walter had probably just made their evening much easier. "We talked to her about watching a movie and having popcorn later. You wouldn't happen to know if there are any good kid-movies on base, would you?"

"I can check around. I'll get back to you later and let you know what I find. I'm also going to talk to the General about going out to pick up some regular clothes for Annie. The supplies on base are pretty limited."

Sam nodded and glanced at Daniel. In another of their silent conversations, they came to a sudden plan. Sam moved toward the other side of the room and motioned for Walter to follow her while Daniel sat down with Annie and talked to her and the monkey.

"So, did you get anything from Annie during lunch that might help? I just, well, we want to make her feel as much at home as we can." 

Walter nodded. He'd been expecting this. Walter had a feeling they were in deeper than they realized, but he wasn't about to voice those thoughts – not yet anyway. People already thought he was psychic; no need to start predicting the future now. "She told me about the death of her parents, which I'm sure you've already heard?" Sam's nod confirmed that, so he continued. "She's determined that it was a mistake, an 'oops' to quote her. She compared it to a time when Colonel Mitchell was 'lost,' so she's probably decided that you both got lost somehow and people thought you'd never make it back. She figures she won't be living with Janet now that you're home. Of course, I said nothing about Dr. Frasier to trigger more questions," he assured her.

Walter looked over at Dr. Jackson, who had picked up a book and started to read it to Annie. "She talked about foods she likes; the General calls her 'Annie-Banannie' sometimes; she loves visiting the zoo; she seems like a normal kid. A little advanced for her age. I have a nephew in kindergarten and they seem to be at about the same level."

"I thought I noticed that, too. My niece and nephew are older now, but I don't remember them asking quite as many questions at three years old."

"Oh, don't forget she'll be four in just over a month. She's quite excited about it, reminded me three times." Walter smiled. "She's a sweet little girl, and doesn't miss much. You might want to know… she uh," his smile had faltered and he looked so serious Sam was starting to get concerned. "She notices details. A lot of little ones. She saw letters and patterns in the way her French fries were laying on the plate. She noticed that the jello bowl was different than what she's used to. Those questions she's asking, and the little things she notices, they're not gonna get easier to explain."

"I know." Sam sighed. "I'm worried about that, but I don't know what we can do about it tonight aside from keep her in one spot as much as possible. If she's not exposed to those differences, she can't notice them and ask about them. After she goes to sleep tonight, we'll have to figure out when and how to explain things to her."

Walter clearly didn't envy them that task. "I'll get busy on that other stuff, Colonel. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Thanks Walter."

Sam crossed the room and pulled a chair up next to the bed where Daniel and Annie sat. She listened as Daniel read a couple more pages of the book about a moose and a bear that were friends. Annie seemed quite content to lean against Daniel's side and play with the stuffed monkey while she listened, and Sam took the opportunity to watch her. Annie's nose crinkled just a little when she giggled at the funny bits, and her eyebrows were expressive, but only during really intense parts of the story. Sam noticed that Annie seemed to be devoting only part of her attention to the book Daniel was reading. There was something else on her mind, and Sam wasn't sure how to ask about it, or for that matter, if she was prepared to deal with it. _Who am I kidding_, she asked herself. _I'm not prepared to deal with any of this. This isn't a normal situation that one could expect_. Nevertheless, she'd had over a decade of dealing with things that weren't "normal" and she saw no choice now but to roll with the punches as usual. They'd figure something out, and they'd make it work. She just hoped there wouldn't be too much fallout from it, especially for Annie.

The knock at the door startled Sam out of her thoughts. "Come in?"

Daniel paused in his reading as they all looked up to see Vala coming in. "I thought perhaps I could play some games with Annie while you two finish up that work the General wants." She smiled, and came to see the games and toys Walter had brought in. "Look, there's Candy Land and…" she paused and squinted slightly at the box, "Trouble?" She looked up at Sam and Daniel in confusion. "This is a children's game? You want them to play with trouble? That seems a bit counterproductive if you ask me, I mean, based on what you generally teach people."

"It's not a game to play with trouble. It's just the name of the game. You move pieces around according to the dice." Sam had played it with her niece and nephew a few years ago. The conversation did, however, help her to realize just how many things a mother would know about that she might not. It was overwhelming.

"I like those games," Annie said. "And Walter bringed me coloring stuff, too. Vala, we can color pictures and you can give one to Teal'c!" Daniel held back a snicker, thinking of Annie's comment earlier about Vala and Teal'c. He wondered if they should warn Vala, but decided that would take the fun out things when Teal'c returned and Annie saw them together again.

Vala looked a little confused, but just smiled larger and said "That would be lovely, Annie."

As Sam and Daniel left the room, Vala and Annie were settling down with crayons, markers, and coloring books at the small table. Daniel closed the door behind them and the two started walking toward the elevator. "I'm not entirely sure where to start," Sam said. "Do we start by trying to decipher that language, or looking for a way to send her home, or recreating the situation that brought her here?" She looked at Daniel. "We're going to have to tell her the truth, you know. We can't possibly get this all settled in a day. We're going to have to explain it to her."

"I know." Daniel pulled his glasses off and rubbed his temples, trying to ease the building pressure. "I'm just hoping we can find something that will give us an idea of when we can work this out. I'd rather be able to tell her she can go back home in a month than we don't know."

"Do you think she'll want to go home?" Sam stopped in the midst of the hallway, feeling as though her ribcage was tightening around her lungs as she waited to hear his answer.

Daniel blinked at her a few times and opened his mouth to reply, then stopped. As he thought about it, he realized he had no answer to that… or rather, he had too many answers. "Well, initially, you would think a child would want to go back home, to what's familiar and safe and comfortable, and that would normally – and ideally – be where she was living. But while I'm sure she has all that with Janet, I know how hard it is to lose both parents at the same time, and if I'd had the best foster care, or been adopted by a loving family, or if I were happily being raised by Nick, I still would have wanted my parents back. You're right Sam. She may not _want_ to go home."

_I may not want to send her home_, Sam thought, but she wasn't ready to share that yet, especially not with Daniel. If it came to that, it would involve a great deal of discussion and thought because it wasn't just about her. It was also about Annie, and anything about Annie, for now at least, was also about Daniel. It was somehow both comforting and nervewracking to have their lives suddenly interwoven like this, and she wondered if it would be something best discussed before Annie knew the truth. No matter, for now. They still had time before they had to tell Annie, which meant Sam still had time before she really had to talk to Daniel about this in depth.

All she said aloud was, "This could get interesting." She reigned in her feelings and headed toward the elevator again.

Daniel followed in silence, but they went their separate ways so they could each focus on different aspects of this puzzle. He knew Sam would be studying the data and energy readings from the scanning crystal, and probably going over old reports and research on the alternate timelines they'd dealt with before. His focus, however, was translation. He needed to find out what those walls said if he was going to have any chance understanding how or why Annie had come to be here.

The language was familiar, but tricky, requiring Daniel to cross-reference a number of things to figure out certain symbols. The translation from PB2-908 where they'd found the writings of the Four Great Races helped, but there was so much more, so many symbols and phrases in the Furling ruins that weren't in that ancient translation. He spent some time comparing a few symbols to some Sanskrit and Thai, then comparing the text from 908, the Utopian moon, and 629 where they'd just been. The book Jack had found on that moon had more Asian influences in the writings, while the writing on 908 was all crescents and dots. 629 seemed to combine those in some cases, but used a lot more symbols and smaller characters, as if the writing was much more detailed, using more words to explain few ideas very meticulously.

He suspected he was looking at an evolution of the language, including some dialectical changes and possibly regional influences. Furthermore, he was fairly certain that the very formal-looking text from 908 was reflective of a higher class, much like calligraphy and formal language sometimes is on Earth. Ultimately, this would make his understanding of the language much deeper and broader, giving him more material to develop a very thorough sampling of their communications. Sadly, though, he wouldn't be able to delve that deeply in just a day or two. To fully translate the writing on the walls of that chamber, Daniel was going to need months, maybe longer. He sighed in frustration and fell back on his habitual problem solving patterns.

He strongly suspected the legend of the Monkey King was involved somehow, and was wondering where best to start for information on the Monkey King here on Earth. He'd heard the stories, of course, knew the legend and a little background on the region, but it had never been his focus of study. In fact, he'd spend so much time studying the Middle East, Europe, and South America that he'd never gotten as far in depth as he'd have liked into the Asian cultures. He thought briefly of contacting an old colleague, but decided against it considering just how long he'd been out of touch with those people. A little research later and he had a book store ordering _Monkey_ and _Journey to the West_ for him. They promised availability by tomorrow afternoon.

Daniel went back to the sections of text that mentioned the Monkey King and focused on those first, hoping to verify his suspicions and glean any other information from it. He'd been at it for hours and was working so intently he hadn't even gotten a new cup of coffee. Finally, as his stomach started growling, he paused to check out the time. It was nearly six, meaning Annie should be getting dinner soon. He put down his work and called Sam's lab.

Sam had been distracted most of the afternoon. She went over old reports, spend the better part of an hour staring at the images of the crystal that scanned them, and wish for a close friend besides Daniel that she could talk to about the confusing feelings she was having over this whole situation. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang at quarter to six. "Carter."

"Sam, it's me. I thought we should get Annie and go have dinner. Or should I have Vala bring her up and we can meet them at the commissary?"

"That would work, and save a little time. I hope she's doing all right. I didn't realize it was this late already."

"Yeah, me either. It's kinda funny to think of this as late, though, don't you think? We so rarely stop work this early."

"True. I guess we'll have to change that, now," Sam said, then quickly realized how that sounded. "I mean, um, you know, for the next little bit, anyway, until we work this out. I just, well, to take care of Annie, since she's having a hard time with things."

"Yeah," Daniel said, and Sam could almost hear the smile through the phone. "It's okay, Sam. I know."

Suddenly, she thought maybe he did know. There was something in his voice that soothed her, which was not at all unusual for them, but was especially comforting considering their current predicament. She thought maybe it wouldn't be that hard to talk to him about her feelings. She knew they were a lot alike in many ways – they wouldn't be so incredibly close otherwise – so maybe he was reacting the same way.

"Okay, I'll wrap this up and meet you there. You'll have Vala bring Annie?"

"You bet. See you soon, Sam."

Sam took a deep breath as she hung up the phone. Life at the SGC – it never stopped surprising her, and while she'd thrived on that for years, she sometimes thought she'd welcome a little boredom. Oh, but hadn't she just been complaining to herself about being bored a few days ago? Everything had been quiet and routine until Daniel proposed that last mission. So this is what the universe decided to do when Sam Carter was bored – but at least she couldn't claim boredom now, and with Annie's personality, Sam didn't think she'd have a boring, quiet life while Annie was around.


	5. Chapter 5 Dreams

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_This chapter ended up longer because there was just no good place to stop earlier. I'm sure you'll all be very sad about a longer chapter, won't you? Many thanks again to Monica for proof-reading, Poetheather1 for beta-reading and listening to me work out the weird little details and plot hiccups, and new thanks to Joyshine for offering her expert feedback on Annie's bedtime story. I love hearing from my readers, and I'm open to archiving elsewhere, so please contact me if you have a fanpage or want to suggest somewhere else I should post this._

**Chapter Five - Dreams:**

_(Physiology) – a succession of images, thoughts, sounds, or emotions which pass through the mind during sleep_

_(Psychology) – a cherished desire_

"I must say, it's a shame Cameron didn't stay on base. He would have been quite fun in our game of Old Maid this afternoon, wouldn't he, Annie?"

Annie nodded in agreement as she absently colored in a picture of Winnie-the-Pooh. "Uh-huh. He has to come play tomorrow. Mommy said I'm not gonna go to Ms. Linda's yet. I get to play with you guys." Annie seemed happy about this, but quite mellow at the same time. Vala couldn't tell if the child was upset, confused, or just tired. She'd suggested a nap, but Annie wouldn't consider it, so they'd spent the past few hours playing cards, coloring pictures, and talking once in a while. Annie hadn't said much of any importance, but Vala was carefully paying attention just in case.

"Yes, we'll be watching over you tomorrow while Sam and Daniel do some more work. They do very important kinds of work here, you know."

"Yes!" Annie's eyes got larger as she enthusiastically latched on to this topic of conversation. She continued talking a mile a minute while she put down the red crayon from Pooh's vest and picked up the black one for Tigger's stripes. "Mommy looks at the Deep Space and Daddy can figure out all the words! My daddy says mommy is the smartest but she says my daddy is the smartester." Sharing this brought a broad grin to her face and Vala knew Annie had heard that conversation several times. It hadn't escaped her that this was all about Daniel. Daniel being with Sam instead of her. Oh, Vala had suspected for some time that those two had a thing just waiting to happen, but Annie's little anecdotes just made it that much worse, more real, somehow, even though it was a different reality.

"That's right." She was trying to stay focused. She'd have time to worry about Daniel later. "And right now, there are some very important words for your, uh, Daddy to translate, and I know there are many, many parts of Deep Space that haven't been seen yet. But I'm sure they'll try to come take a break with you tomorrow."

"But they're gonna come tonight, too, right?"

"Oh, sweetie, yes, of course. I just meant that they'll try to take a break with you tomorrow _too_. You know, after they see you tonight. And in the morning!" She put a hand over Annie's tiny one. Annie's other hand stopped coloring and she gripped the crayon tighter. "Don't you worry. I'm sure they'll be back very soon." Annie solemnly nodded her head, but Vala could tell she was still worried. "Would you like to talk to me about how you're feeling, Annie?"

Before Annie could answer, the phone rang. A few brief moments later, Vala smiled at Annie. "Well, you'd best get your shoes on so we can go meet them for dinner! I told you it wouldn't be long, now didn't I?"

Sam was nervous as she walked with Daniel toward the cafeteria. "I keep worrying that I'm going to do something wrong, mess up somehow with Annie."

Daniel nodded. "I know what you mean. There are so many things to consider, so many decisions we have to make." He paused and looked at Sam, realizing what he'd just said. "Oh, you mean because of the timeline issues, don't you?"

"Um, well, to be honest," she looked away, wondering if she'd ever been so nervous around Daniel before. "Yes and no." At his raised eyebrow she continued. "Yes, I'm worried about doing or saying something that would confuse or upset her because of the differences in our timelines, but no, that's not the only way that I'm worried about doing something wrong. I uh," she took a deep breath and prayed the sudden heat on her face and neck wasn't visibly noticeable. "I was thinking maybe you and I should have a talk. Like, tonight, after she's asleep."

Daniel definitely saw that she was suddenly flushed, and wanted to do whatever he could to sooth her concerns. "I think that's a good idea. We haven't really had the time to talk about this privately." He was rewarded with a relieved smile from Sam.

She nodded at him, opened her mouth as if she were going to say something else, and then just smiled again as she continued toward the cafeteria.

They had barely stepped through the door when they were both bombarded by Annie's enthusiastic greeting. "Mommy! Daddy!" She grabbed each of them around one leg, providing the odd feeling of being in a three-legged race. They couldn't help the grins as they both leaned over to offer some slightly awkward hugs. Finally, Sam just picked Annie up so she could hold her properly and free up their legs for walking. She added a last minute tickle that earned her a giggle from Annie.

"Did you have a fun afternoon?" Daniel asked.

"Uh-huh! We playeded Ole' Maid and Vala was the Ole' Maid and she winned Candyland two times but I winned one time. I made a picture for Unc'l Jack and one for Walter, and I didn't took a nap 'cause I didn't has sleepy-ness. And Vala said I could see you soon and then you calleded! Did you finish the works for Mr. General? Can we still has poppy-corns tonight?" She finally paused for a breath as they reached an empty table.

"Sounds like you were quite busy! Yes, you can still have popcorn as long as you eat a good dinner. After you go to bed we might do a little more work, but we'll be close by. That's why we're spending the night here, after all." Sam wondered if Annie was always that excited about things, or if it was a result of the disruption in her routine and surroundings.

Sam stayed with Annie while Daniel and Vala got dinner for all of them. Annie was kneeling in her chair with her elbows resting on the table and leaning toward Sam still talking about her afternoon. "That vipp room we got is weird. You get to sleep in there, too, right?" Sam nodded but didn't have time to respond verbally. "That's okay then. And Candyland was fun. Daddy can play Trouble with me later. And Walter bringed me funny clothes, but I like the monkey. It's not the same as my monkey, but that's okay."

Once the others arrived with trays of food, Annie's contribution to the conversation dropped a good bit. She dove into the rice on her plate while Sam reached over to cut up her lemon chicken. As Annie took a bite of the chicken, Sam thought about McKay and his citrus allergy. Food allergies, yet another thing they didn't know about Annie. She'd have to talk to Dr. Lam about running some allergy tests so they could avoid anything that would be problematic. Sam just watched the interaction, barely picking at her dinner as she thought about how precious Annie was. She'd felt this before, a sort of mothering instinct after they found Cassandra, but it hadn't been this strong. It certainly triggered all sorts of philosophical questions about the emotional bonds of biological relationship.

Daniel listened to Annie and Vala regale him with stories of their fierce Candyland battles and picture coloring, but Sam's introspective mood didn't escape his attention. He wondered what their talk later would bring, and how much of her silent thoughts he'd finally get to hear. "Don't forget your milk" he whispered to Annie when she paused between a bite of rice and her latest comment about the afternoon. He smiled when she glanced at him and grabbed her glass, then raised his eyebrows when she proceeded to drink half the glass in one big gulp.

She giggled at the surprise on his face and all he could do was laugh with her.

Later on, the new family sat in their V. I. P. room getting ready for their movie night. Jack had graciously declined the invitation, but promised to come see Annie tomorrow. Daniel had already popped some popcorn and had three bowls, individually seasoned to taste, waiting for them to dig in. He silently praised Walter's thoughtfulness as he pushed a flexible straw into a juice box for Annie. Walter had found them just as they finished dinner and explained that there were some more things waiting in their quarters. Daniel hadn't expected to find a nightgown, two sets of clothes for Annie, toiletries, socks, underwear, more books and toys, snacks and juice boxes, and most important right now, three DVDs. Walter apologized for the small selection, but he'd done what he could on short notice.

Daniel went to the TV and picked up the three movies. "Okay, Annie, what would you like to watch tonight? Walter brought us _Lilo and Stitch_, _The Little Mermaid_, and" he paused, having never seen this last one, "_It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie_," he read.

"Muppets! Muppets! Muppets!" Annie jumped up and down with each repetition.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked as she turned on the television. "It's not Christmastime."

"But Mo-mmy, I loves the Muppets." She had barely blinked twice when Sam sighed and reached out to Daniel.

"Muppets it is, then" he said as he handed it over to Sam.

In moments, they were all sitting together, popcorn bowls in laps, watching the opening credits of this holiday Muppets movie. Sam had only ever seen the Muppet's Christmas Carol, and wondered if this one would be re-telling another traditional holiday story. She smiled as Annie sang along with 'Jingle Bells' for a verse only to interrupt herself when Beaker ended up with two heads.

Upon meeting the angelic character, Daniel, Annie squealed "That's Daddy's name!" As that Daniel defied his supervisor and went to talk to the boss, Sam couldn't help but smile.

"He listens about as well as your Daddy, too," she said, grinning at Daniel over Annie's head.

"Whoopi Goldberg as God?" Daniel asked. "That's a new one. I like it."

They munched their popcorn in silence for a bit, and all laughed again when Miss Piggy went flying across the screen just as the bank manager said "when pigs fly".

Annie didn't like Mrs. Bitterman at all. "She's a mean lady," Annie said. "She's bad." They found they couldn't disagree with her.

They watched Pepe come in to warn the Muppets as they prepared to put on their Christmas show in the theater. When the show actually started, Sam and Daniel shared another eye-rolling look over Annie's head. "Moulin _Scrooge_?" Sam said.

"Yeah, I know."

Moments later Annie was nervously routing for Fozzie to get away from the Australian man and cheered when he successfully hid in the trees. "Go Fozzie, go!" she cried out as he ran toward the bank.

She alternated between calmly eating her popcorn and nervously bouncing at the edge of her seat and laughed when "Danny-L" had his clothes changed by God. Sam was paying more attention to Annie than the movie, but it definitely caught her attention when Kermit said "I wish I'd never been born!" She knew precisely where this was going now. _It's a Wonderful Life_ had been one of her mother's holiday traditions, so she was interested in seeing how the Muppets handled that story.

"Poor Kermit. Nobody knows him now." Annie was saddened by Kermit's misfortune and every time another of the Muppets ignored Kermit or didn't recognize him, she seemed to get a little more upset. Sam couldn't help but wonder if Annie was identifying with him after her experiences the past couple days. It was at that moment that Sam realized they could use this movie as an aid to explain the alternate realities to Annie. She'd been wracking her brain for a way to make Annie understand, and now she just hoped it wouldn't scare the child too much.

As they watched the rest of the movie, Sam pondered the lyrics Kermit had sung with Gonzo. She'd felt her heart leap into her throat during the chorus; _Everyone matters, everyone matters, even the smallest of the smallest can make the biggest dreams come true. Everyone matters, for worse or for better, we can change the world around us, with everything we do._ Somewhere deep inside, Sam had always longed for a family, for a chance to be a mother. When she'd realized it wasn't likely to happen for her, that longing had been buried in her subconscious, but it never really went away. Her close Aunt-like relationship with Cassie had given her a taste of what it might be like, but in a way that had only made the desire stronger, which meant she had to fight it harder.

Now here she was, having consciously given up on the idea, and this tiny little girl miraculously appeared in her life. Intellectually, Sam knew it would be very difficult to reconnect with Annie's reality, and she really wasn't sure she _could_ find a way to get Annie back to her world, but if she were completely honest with herself, she had to admit that any possible solution might be subconsciously sabotaged by the fact that she really didn't want Annie to go. She'd never thought it possible, but Kermit the Frog had just made her face up to what she'd been trying to fight ever since Annie first appeared. She was a mother, and she wanted to stay that way.

Daniel was enjoying the movie, but not half as much as he was enjoying the feeling of Annie snuggled up against his leg. He thought about Kermit's song, especially about changing the world with everything we do. The writer of the song probably had no idea just how true that statement was. Every time Daniel dealt with another reality, he realized just how much every little action, statement, and decision was affecting the reality in which he lived. And if those big changes: Sam not joining the military, his work with the Stargate program, various relationships between people, Jack staying in retirement, Annie's birth, Janet's death – if these created the various realities he'd had some contact with, how many more realities were there? Was there another reality where they hadn't entered the building and therefore never met Annie? Was there one where he'd only had two cups of coffee that morning instead of four? Was there a reality where he didn't drink coffee at all?

His thoughts were interrupted by a very quiet gasp from Sam, but when he looked her way she seemed to be very lost in thought and didn't notice that she'd drawn his attention. He wondered what she was thinking, and felt certain it was an important train of thought judging by the look on her face. He made a mental note to ask her about it later and put an arm around Annie's small back, hugging her closer to him and settling in to watch the rest of the movie.

After the movie, Sam insisted Annie have a bath. "Um, okay, if it's all right with you ladies, I'm just gonna go, um, check on a couple things and pick up a reference book from my office."

Annie smiled at Sam "He always needs more books." Sam couldn't help but laugh at the simple truth of that statement.

"Yes, that's true," she said, then turned to Daniel. "Just don't forget that you need to be back in about 45 minutes for Annie's bedtime story. I know how you get lost in your office sometimes."

"I won't forget. See you soon." He smiled at them both, and ruffled Annie's hair a bit before leaving.

Sam enjoyed watching Annie play and splash in the tub and found herself smiling as she washed her child's hair. Her child. She felt like her brain was on a repeating loop, continually realizing and discovering the very quickly developing attachment to Annie, as if every little experience with Annie made her understand on an even deeper level. She was nervous about this, worried that others would think she was crazy or imagining things. Logically, she couldn't explain this connection to the child who was a virtual stranger to her, but emotionally, she found she couldn't deny it.

Once Annie was clean and dressed in her new nightgown, Sam sat her down to brush the tangles out of her hair, wondering if this was familiar to Annie. "Did you have a good day?"

Annie nodded vigorously, which admittedly made the hairbrushing a little bit difficult. "Uh, huh! Especially after you guys got done with working, cuz dinner was yummy and I like movies and poppy-corns! And mostly it was bestest cuz you and Daddy were here." Her tone shifted slightly, more solemn and introspective, causing a lump in Sam's throat when Annie said, "I missed you so much when you were gone."

"I know sweetie, but we're here now." She turned Annie around and smiled at her. "And I had fun tonight too. I'm glad you picked the Muppets for our movie."

Annie looked deeply into her mother's eyes, and for a moment, Sam thought the child could see straight into her soul. Only Daniel had ever given her that feeling, so she decided it must be something Annie had inherited from him. She gathered Annie up in a tight hug and carried her over to the smaller of the beds that had been set up for them. "Now, what story do you want tonight?"

"But Daddy's not back yet. And I need Tiggsy! And can I have a glass of water?" Sam wasn't sure if Annie was stalling for Daniel or just stalling in general because she didn't want to go to bed. It didn't matter much longer, though, because just as she was getting Tiggsy, the borrowed monkey, Daniel came back in.

"Just in time," she said, smiling at the three books he carried in with him. "I thought you were picking up _a_ reference book."

"Well, I found a couple others that I thought might be helpful. I figured I'd grab them in case I had time later." He turned his attention to Annie after setting the books down on the dresser. "So, all cleaned up and ready for bed?"

"Yep," she answered with a grin. "And ready for my story."

Daniel smiled at her. She obviously loved stories and books, which was just one of the ways she reminded him of himself as a child. Especially after his parents' deaths, he'd become attached to the stories he could lose himself in. It didn't matter if they were fiction or history, they all took him away from whatever foster family he was with at the time. He hoped Annie hadn't felt that alone and deserted since losing her parents. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that she'd been cared for by Janet, who he was sure loved her just as she did Cassie.

"What story would you like?" He picked up the books Walter had brought and looked over them, wondering if any of them would be good as bedtime stories.

"Not books, Daddy." Annie looked confused and a little scared, obviously feeling that something was off again. "Books are for daytime reading, 'member?" She looked from Daniel to Sam and back again, "You always te-tell me stories for bedtime." Her voice caught a little, showing just how upset she was.

Daniel quickly realized he'd made another faux pas and hoped he could play it off okay. "I was just looking through the books. I didn't remember what Walter brought us and was thinking about one of them to read sometime tomorrow." He smiled at her, trying to ease her concern by acting like it was no big deal. "But you still haven't told me what story you'd like to hear. Or at least what type of story." He wondered if she usually got made up stories or simply their versions of popular fairy tales. He hadn't quite expected her next statement, though.

"Um, something about Asgard?"

Sam turned her head quickly to look at Daniel and they both saw the questions in each other's eyes. After a moment, Daniel looked back at Annie and finally spoke. "Asgard?"

"Uh-huh. You tole' me about it one time, that, um, the…" she paused, her brow scrunching a bit as she tried to remember, "the Nose gods live there?"

"Oh, the uh, the _Norse_ gods, right. You have to pass through it to get to Valhalla…"

"Oh, wait, the girl with the pommogrommet. We saw a picture at the museum that time and you said you would tell me about her."

"Persephone?"

"Yes, that's her!" Her brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to copy his pronunciation. "Per-sef'-uh-nee."

Daniel smiled at her studious attitude. "That's right. Persephone. I can certainly tell you about her." He grabbed a chair and pulled it over by the bed. "First, I'm pretty sure you're supposed to be snuggled under the covers with that monkey, there."

Annie grabbed the stuffed monkey and climbed under the covers, turning to adjust and fluff her pillow in a way that seemed oddly adult for such a tiny girl. Daniel found it adorable to watch her blow hair out of her face when she got frustrated with it, but managed to keep his grin under control when she finally looked up at him. "All set, Daddy! Come on Mommy, you can sit on the bed by me while Daddy tells the story." She patted the beige blanket with her little hand, scooting her legs over a little to leave more room for Sam.

Once they were all settled, Daniel sat back in the chair and thought about the myth of Demeter, Persephone and Hades. He wondered, not for the first time, if other Goa'uld, or some other race entirely, had influenced all the gods throughout history. What kind of creature would inspire these god-figures? He put those thoughts aside for later and turned his attention to the story of Persephone, an interesting bedtime story indeed.

"Well, you see many many thousands of years ago in Greece, the people believed in a lot of different gods…"

"Like in Egypt?" Annie's wide blue eyes were filled with interest and Daniel wished he had the memories of telling her stories like this before. He'd love to know how that interest developed.

"Yes, much like in Egypt. And one of the very important ones was the goddess Demeter, because she was the goddess of grain and gardens. She made the plants grow and provided the food to the people. Demeter had a daughter, Persephone. Persephone was a beautiful young lady, and liked to wander around the fields, and play with her friends. Demeter was sometimes nervous about Persephone running around, but Persephone didn't always listen."

Annie shook her head solemnly, as if she knew that wouldn't end well. Daniel and Sam grinned and Daniel continued.

"So, one day Persephone was out picking flowers. It was a beautiful day, and some of her friends were with her. Now the stories are different from here. Some people think the ground opened up and Hades, the god of the underworld, kidnapped Persephone. Other people think he talked to her and they flirted and she went home with him because she liked him."

Sam raised an eyebrow at this. She hadn't heard this version of the story before.

"Either way, Persephone ended up in Hades' world, the Underworld. The uh," he wondered if this had been a good choice considering the separation and death involved in it. "The Greeks believed that the dead went to the Underworld, and Hades was the one in charge of them. Well, he was looking for a Queen, someone to be his wife and help him run things. He chose Persephone, and she spent some time in the underworld."

"There were all sorts of things she'd never seen before. Hades had a big dog with three heads that helped him guard things. There was a river they had to cross to get all the way to his place. It was dark and cool, instead of bright and sunny like the fields of flowers and grain she was so used to. Even though her mother was part of this family of gods, Persephone didn't know them very well. Demeter always tried to keep her away from them, so some people believe that Persephone was a little happy to meet Hades and get to know him."

"Demeter was very sad while she was looking for Persephone. She neglected her role as the goddess of the grain, and the plants stopped growing. The sun wasn't as warm, and the days grew shorter and the flowers and trees died off or went to sleep." Annie's eyes were really big here, and Daniel felt encouraged that she was so interested. "It was winter, but nobody knew what that was then."

"The whole time that Demeter was looking for her, Persephone was in the underworld. She was married to Hades and ruling over the dead for months before Demeter found her. When her mother tried to bring her home, Persephone wasn't sure she wanted to go, or at least that's what some people believe. Those who thought Persephone was kidnapped, they believed she was happy to go home."

"But she would miss him, if she's married to him, right?" Annie interrupted. "Couldn't her mommy come live closer so she could see them both?"

"No, Demeter had to be in the regular world to take care of growing things so the people would have food. She was in charge of that. Persephone and Hades had to be in the underworld. They were in charge of guiding the dead. But Demeter talked to Zeus, Persephone's father, and asked him to help."

"When I grow up and get married, I want to live closer so I can still see you guys." Annie hugged her monkey a little tighter as she looked back and forth from Sam to Daniel, and smiled when Sam reached over to rub her arm comfortingly.

"When you grow up and get married, you can live where ever you want to, sweetie," Sam said. She wanted to add _and I'll see you as much as I can no matter where you go_, but was hesitant to make any statements of permanence until she could talk to someone about this. She smiled back at Annie and they both turned their attention back to Daniel, waiting for more of the story.

"So, Zeus said Persephone could go home with Demeter if she hadn't had anything to eat or drink in the underworld, but it turned out she had eaten a few seeds of a pomegranate. Hades tried to get her to stay with him forever, since she had eaten in his world, but Zeus decided that she would spend part of the year with Hades, most people say it was one month for each seed she ate, and the rest of the year with Demeter above ground."

"So when Persephone went back up with Demeter, and Demeter was happy again to have her daughter home, the world warmed up and the ground thawed out. Plants and trees woke up and grew again, and the grain and vegetables grew and gave people plenty to eat. Persephone and her friends had fields of flowers to wander through. Some people believed that Persephone was very happy to be home and that her months with Hades every year were something she didn't like, but other people believe that she was happy as his wife and enjoyed her job in the underworld. I guess it could even be possible that she didn't want to go with Demeter, but she had to accept that it was her real world and just try to enjoy her visits to the underworld as much as she could."

Annie looked thoughtful. "So was she dead, too?"

"Well, not exactly. See, Persephone was a goddess, and most people believe that gods and goddesses don't die."

"But if she went to that other world…"

"The underworld."

"Yeah, if she went to the underworld, does that make her like a dead people?"

"Nope. Since she was a goddess and she could go back and forth, she was just in charge of the dead, but not one of them."

Annie accepted this with a small nod and snuggled into her pillow more, obviously ready to go to sleep. Daniel brushed the hair back from her face and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams _habiba_."

After Daniel stepped back, Sam kissed Annie on the cheek. "Good night sweetie. We're gonna be up for a while, but Vala said she'd come hang out in here in case you need anything, okay?"

Annie nodded. "But you'll come back for bed?" She looked at Sam hopefully.

"Yes, sweetie, of course!"

Daniel stepped across the room to call Vala and let her know they were ready for her to return. Even as he spoke quietly with Vala, he was watching Sam and Annie. They shared a hug and Annie laid back down on her side while Sam rubbed her back soothingly. He saw the look on Sam's face and thought back to the way she had looked at Cassie during the first few days after they'd found her. Oh yes, their lives had taken an interesting turn this week, and he couldn't wait for the chance to talk to her about this and see what she was thinking now. Sam sat with Annie for a couple more minutes, and Daniel picked up one of his books, attempting to read, but was too distracted to really pay attention to it.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Vala knocked on the door, and mentally laughed at himself for being so distracted. Putting the book down, he went to the door and let Vala in. Sam headed over and met them by the door. "She's almost asleep, but I'm sure she'll feel safer knowing someone's here. If she wakes up, feel free to get her a drink of water or something, and if you need us, you can call my lab, okay?"

"You got it. I'll just be lounging here with my magazines." She held up two popular magazines she'd brought along. "I'm particularly interested in this one," she pointed to the bright red lettering on one cover. "It's going to teach me what men really want in a woman and how to know if they're serious."

Sam just shook her head and smiled. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

Sam and Daniel didn't talk in the halls or through the elevator ride as they made their way to her lab. They both thought about it, several times, actually, but were so lost in their own thoughts they couldn't figure out what to say. It became more obvious when they got to Sam's lab and still weren't talking. Sam leaned against her work table, and Daniel sat on a stool nearby. After a few minutes had passed, Sam realized the absurdity of it all and started laughing, which was nothing but confusing for Daniel. He gave her a questioning look, waiting for some sort of explanation.

"I'm sorry. I just… it seems so strange to not know what to say, you know? I mean, Daniel, you're my best friend. I can't remember a time that I didn't know how to talk to you about anything, and here we are, just sitting here, saying nothing."

"You know you can be open with me, right? Whatever you have to say, it's okay." He wondered what Sam might be thinking that would make her this nervous, then he started to wonder what she could possibly say that might upset him. He didn't get much time to think about it before Sam finally decided to speak.

"I know. I guess I just wish I could talk this over with someone less directly involved first, you know? I feel like… well, like anything I might say about Annie right now is sort of, I guess, making assumptions, or imposing my thoughts or feelings on your life, whether you want them or not."

"Sam, like you said, we're best friends. You can talk to me about anything, and I want to know your thoughts and feelings right now. We're in this together. It's affecting us both, and we're the only ones who can identify with it. We're the only ones who have suddenly had a child dropped into our lives."

"And we're the ones who have to figure out how she got here and what to do next."

"You mean how to send her home?"

"I mean everything. For one, we've got to explain to her that she's not already home. Explaining quantum theory to a three-year-old is going to be tricky enough, but that also means telling her that we've been lying to her since we found her. It means telling her that nobody here really knows her, that we're not really who she thinks we are, and that the parents she remembers really are dead, and the Janet we knew is also dead. The poor child is going to lose her family all over again and suddenly find herself surrounded by strangers." Sam turned and walked across the room to close the door, taking that opportunity to take a couple deep breaths and blink away the tears that had gathered in her eyes.

"I know." Daniel's voice was quiet, resigned, not what Sam was expecting. He sounded as upset about this as she felt. She took another deep breath and turned to look at him. He had been looking down at the floor, but seemed to feel her eyes on him because he looked up to meet them. Sam walked around the work table to his stool and stood directly in front of him. As she looked at him, she suddenly knew they would work it all out.

"You love her, too, don't you?" She smiled as she asked him, and placed her hand over his on the work table.

He looked slightly surprised, but only for a moment. "Yeah," he said with a smile. "She really gets straight to the heart, doesn't she?"

"So, you'll help me convince the General that we can't send her back there?"

"Of course." They stayed just like that, Sam standing in front of the stool he was sitting on, lightly holding hands and smiling at each other. Daniel thought it must have been a couple minutes later when he finally decided to speak again. His voice cracked with emotion when he said "Wow. We're parents."

Sam let out something that sounded like a laugh and a sob of happiness as the same time and leaned into him for a hug. She had been so confused, unable to accept this idea and afraid it would be taken from her at the same time. Feeling her eyes fill up with tears again, Sam squeezed them tightly shut, unable to avoid the overflow making its way down her cheeks. She should have known she and Daniel could make it work out somehow. They'd always been so close and understood each other so well. She smiled against his shoulder, ignoring all the still unanswered questions and just being glad that she wouldn't have to fight alone for the little girl she'd so quickly come to love.

Daniel sighed as he held onto Sam, reflecting on how grateful he was to have her in his life, to have that kind of friendship. He'd known people throughout his life who had very close friends that almost seemed to share a brain with them, and he'd always envied them that closeness. Now he was reminded that he and Sam were those kinds of friends, and pretty much had been since the day they met. He heard Sam sniff and knew that she was probably crying. He was close to it himself¸ feeling very emotional and watery-eyed.

Finally, Sam stepped out of the embrace, but stayed close, leaning one elbow on the work table. "So, should we ask for an earlier meeting tomorrow and explain this to Annie in the morning?"

"It would probably be a good idea. I don't really feel comfortable lying to her¸ which is what I feel like we've been doing. Any ideas on how we're going to do that?"

"Yes. The Muppets."

Daniel smiled, "Ahhh, I wondered if you were thinking that would work. I can see where it gives us a good starting point. Of course, in the movie, Kermit finds that things are all messed up and he needs to get back to his reality. Do you think she'll deal okay with that? I mean, with not going back? I know it'll mean she doesn't have to leave us, but we're not really the us she knew. What if she doesn't like us? What if we're not as good at being parents as they were?"

"Daniel, we _are_ them. I think we'll do okay. She wouldn't be adjusting so well if we weren't at least doing some familiar things. And think about how quick she is to ask questions when she sees something different. Walter told me she commented on the jello cups being shaped differently than what she's used to. If she notices and asks about details like that, she'd be questioning us more if we were acting drastically different than the parents she remembers."

Daniel nodded. He could see the logic in that. She was a very attentive and inquisitive child. "She has some of your mannerisms, you know?"

"Oh, and you haven't noticed how she speed-talks just like you do when you're excited about something? Her ramblings at lunch today reminded me a lot of just last week when you caught me on the way to the General's office to suggest that mission."

"Wow. That was just a few days ago, wasn't it? It seems like it's been longer. I guess when you don't have nine months to prepare for becoming a parent, it makes things feel different. So much has happened in the past 36 hours or so."

Sam thought about that for a minute. "You suggested it. Daniel, where did you get the idea to go to that planet?"

"The, uh, the images SG-13 brought back from 629."

"If you hadn't looked at those, or the General hadn't okayed the mission, Annie wouldn't be here now." The idea saddened her, but it was true nonetheless. And considering their experiences in the past, she had wonder if there was a reason behind it. She had to look at the series of events to determine if there might have been some other being, ascended or Furling or other, that had triggered these events by planting something in Daniel's mind or in those images that would draw them to 629.

"And by the way multiple realities are created, that means there are realities where we never went there. I was thinking about that earlier, how every single choice we make and thing we do and person we interact with affects the course of things, and that means all of those events create a different reality, and every single person on the planet has their own infinite set of alternate realities and every person on every other planet, and…" He took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut as he pondered the concept.

"Yeah, infinity is kinda freaky when you really think about it, isn't it?" Sam offered. "And to think, you still haven't scratched the surface of it. Our minds aren't built to truly comprehend it." She thought about it further. "It does bring up a lot of interesting questions, though. Like how did she get from her reality to this one? Is it going to cause a problem in either reality? I mean, there's no other Annie here, so we don't have to worry about cascade failure, but what experience do we have with people staying in other realities? And is there some way we can contact her reality? I would like to find a way to let Janet know where she is. She's got to be worried sick."

"Well, I think the first thing to do is figure out what triggered the crystal. If we walk back in there, we shouldn't have any new problems, since nothing happened yesterday after lunch. However, I'd be very hesitant to take Annie back in there because …" Daniel stopped. He was feeling overwhelmed by everything, and unsure what point he was even trying to make anymore.

"I know. I've thought about that, too." Sam had run so many possibilities in her mind over the last several hours, but nothing had brought her any closer to an answer. "I think a lot of it is going to depend on your translation of the writings in that room."

"I'll get to work on it, and as soon as I have enough deciphered to really start a straight translation, I'll get some of my team on it. Sean's great with languages. I'll get him to work with me."

"Okay." Sam was a little distracted, looking over some of her information from 629. "I don't know that I'm going to be able to get any more information from the data I have here. I need to get some new equipment in that room, and ideally, get some readings while that thing is active, but I don't know how to activate it on purpose."

"Or if we should even try," Daniel said. He thought about the possibilities of what might happen if they did activate it, if they would have to take new people in there to trigger it and who could appear in that case. Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice that Sam had wandered over to her desk and was looking through some of her notes.

His thoughts quickly jumped from one idea to another, as they often did. These quick leaps in his head were often what led to the jumps of logic that helped him solve problems. It was something people seemed impressed with, but it just came naturally to him. Behind the daydreaming expression, Daniel imagined taking someone else into those ruins to activate the scanner. Who would it be? Maybe another SG team, or one of the scientists. Maybe someone higher, maybe even Jack. It was unlikely the folks in charge would want Jack to do a test like this, but with his experience, it could be argued that he'd be the perfect person for the job. If he did go, what would the scanner do to him? Would he be taken somewhere else like Cam and Vala, or would someone else appear with him like Annie had? For that matter, had Cam and Vala really disappeared? They said they were in the same room, that they'd been the ones watching the rest of the team disappear. Did that mean they were all in the same room, just in different realities? And did that mean they were in the version of that room from whatever reality they connected with? What could those other connections tell them? Cam spoke with a dead man. Vala spoke with an alternate version of her father, who, as far as they knew was still very much alive in this reality. And Sam and Daniel had been found by their recently orphaned daughter from an alternate reality. What did these things have in common? Since Cam and Vala's visitors didn't stick around, did that mean they had something extra in common? Of course, not 'in common' like potential dates. Oh, those two would be something else if they dated. Of course, there would be a reality in which they were dating, maybe even one where they had kids. Just like the realities where Sam and Jack had been a couple. Oh, right. Annie, her reality, they were…

"So this is what it feels like?" He didn't realize he was speaking until he heard his own voice.

Sam looked up from her notes. "So this is what what feels like?"

"When I came back from that other Earth, the one where you and Jack were engaged, and then later when the other Sam came here, and she'd been married to him, I always knew it must be weird for you to see or even know about a version of yourself that was in a relationship you weren't having. I guess this is what that felt like. Now we know that we were together. I mean, well, that they were together. The other us, Annie's parents. It makes me wonder when, how, what was different for them that led them to that relationship? Does it, uh, does it mean we…"

"Daniel," Sam felt a sudden need to stop his train of thought. "We don't actually know that. I was thinking about this yesterday in the ruins. I've always wanted to have children, and well, I guess once I got to the SGC there was always so much going on, and so much danger, and you know, I've never developed anything really serious,"

"There was Pete. You were engaged."

"That was a mistake," she said quickly. She didn't want to have to explain what was going on at the time of her engagement to Pete. It had been very confusing, and it wasn't something she felt capable of talking about right now. "And it didn't last. So, no husband, no kids. But I figured, maybe that other me wanted a child just as much, and decided for whatever reason, that she didn't want to give up that dream just because she wasn't married. If I were going to have a child on my own, and I were going to ask anyone to be a sperm donor for me," she took a deep breath before pushing out the end of her thought, "it would be you."

Sam was looking at her notepad again, trying very hard to avoid Daniel's gaze. It made her a little crazy how nervous she felt around him, but she couldn't seem to control it.

Daniel felt a little dumbstruck. It was one thing to assume that an alternate version of himself had been married to an alternate version of Sam and had Annie. It was somehow a whole different ballgame to know that this version of Sam had actually thought about it and would want this version of him to father a child. Of course, now it was a moot point, since they already had a child. A child that was theirs, but that they hadn't actually conceived. "That makes sense."

_And is less confusing right now_, Sam thought. "Speaking of which, that's something else we'll have to work out. If Annie's staying with us, I'd like, well, if you're okay with it, that is, I'd like us to, you know, take care of her together somehow."

"Absolutely!" He was surprised she had to ask. "I want to be around, involved. I want whatever works best for Annie, too. Even after we explain things to her, it'll be easier for her to adjust and feel safe here if we can make things as familiar as possible. If you're right, and I, er, he was a… a donor… then he must have been around a lot anyway, since she seems quite familiar with having me around at bedtime and stuff. We can ask about her life, her routines, find out how often she normally saw him, try to set it up the same way."

Sam had to admit the comment about bedtime threw her for a loop. She hadn't considered it before, but Annie seemed very used to the two of them telling her stories, tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. That was more the behavior of a married couple with their child, not a single mother and visiting father. Unless maybe they had decided to share a house to make the co-parenting easier on them all. If that was the case, she didn't think it would be too difficult to adjust to it in this reality. At least, not in comparison to the change of suddenly having a child.

She didn't realize just how tired she was until she yawned. With the yawn came the sudden urge to curl up with a couple pillows and close her eyes. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was barely 2200, but she was definitely ready for bed. "Hey, you know, it's been a long couple days, and judging by this morning, Annie's going to wake up early and with lots of energy. I think I'll go on to sleep."

Daniel stood up, nodding. "Probably a good idea. I got the room right across the hall, so just let me know if you need anything." They both headed out of the lab, Sam turning off the lights behind her.

They walked in silence to the elevator, each lost in their own thoughts, and as they rode the elevator back to the V.I.P. rooms, Sam finally worked up the courage to say what was on her mind, or, part of it, at least.

"I have a lot of… confusing feelings, I guess, about this. I – it almost feels like after Jolinar died, and I suddenly had her feelings for Martouf even though I didn't know him." She paused, and Daniel felt his heart speed up a little as he wondered if she was suggesting that she was developing synthetically influenced feelings towards him. He wasn't quite sure how he felt about that and nearly zoned out as he started pondering the idea, but thankfully her next statement came quickly enough to keep him present. "Of course, I don't have any memories of Annie, like I did with him, but the sudden strong bond that just came from nowhere, for a child I barely know, it feels so… so strange, and yet, so _right_ at the same time."

She looked down at her hands where she was fidgeting with her cuticles. "I've been wishing I could talk to Janet about things, and of course, I can't. I don't usually feel comfortable discussing things this personal with anyone but you, and I'm kind of, well, kind of worried that it could cause a problem this time. I mean, because it involves you, too." She looked up as the elevator doors opened and completely misinterpreted Daniel's expression (since he was still a little caught up in the realization that she was talking about feelings toward Annie, and trying to figure out if he was relieved or disappointed). Sam quickly turned and left the elevator as she started talking again, unaware of how quickly she was speaking. "Oh, don't worry. I don't have to talk to you about it. In fact, I don't think I'm quite ready to talk about it just yet anyway, but I wanted to let you know that there's a lot on my mind, and I'm sure there's a lot on your mind too, and if we're doing this, it's kinda huge and if we're doing it together it's even huger, and most people, most _friends_ don't jump into this kind of thing. I understand that, and if you need… well, whatever, it's okay. And if, I don't know, if you're okay with talking, I can listen, and if you're okay with listening, I might want to talk sometime."

Daniel had followed her down the hall and they now stood between the two doors they would spend the night behind. Daniel was confused, but what he did know – that he was Annie's father and would do anything it took to be a good father to her – he knew with all his heart. "Sam," he reached out and touched her arm lightly, seeking eye contact so she would know he meant what he was about to say. "Friends don't normally jump into being co-parents, it's true, but friends don't normally get approached by the orphaned daughter of their alternate reality selves, either. We've dealt with weird, unusual, improbable, unlikely, freaky, crazy, scary, and things formerly thought to be impossible. We know she's ours. Our guts have told us that even without any results back from Dr. Lam. We know we love her. That's all most parents know when they're starting out. We'll take it one day at a time and we'll work it all out. As for talking, yeah, I would be happy to listen, and should probably do some talking of my own, but I think I need a little more time to figure out what I'm thinking before I try talking it out." He offered a comforting smile, and opened his arms for a hug, which Sam gratefully moved into.

"Thanks, Daniel."

"I'm just being me. Thank you."

"Good night."

"Night Sam." They each went into their own rooms, and after saying a brief good night to Vala, Sam set about getting ready for bed.

She had just finished brushing her teeth and was in pajamas ready to climb in bed when Annie started whimpering. Sam stopped on her way to the bed, waiting to see if Annie would wake up. She'd done this last night on the planet, too, but didn't wake up. Sam had asked her this morning what she dreamed about, but Annie didn't remember. Annie whimpered some more and then sat straight up in bed yelling "Mommy! Daddy! Mommy! Daddy!"

Sam was at her side in a flash and pulled Annie out of bed, holding her tightly as she sat on the edge of the bed and smoothed the blond curls out of Annie's face. "Shhh, shhh, it's okay, Annie. I'm right here. See, sweetie, I'm right here with you and you're safe. It's okay."

Annie continued to cry out for a few seconds after Sam started speaking and then quickly stopped. She slowly pulled her head back and looked at Sam hesitantly, as if she weren't quite sure what or who she would see. On seeing Sam, Annie's eyes watered up and she started breathing harder. "Mommy you were gone. I dreamed you and Daddy were gone and I couldn't ever see you. Don't go away Mommy. Please don't go away for evers." She hugged Sam tightly, her little fists gripping at Sam's pajama top.

Sam didn't even realize she'd started rocking gently back and forth as she held Annie close and petted her head, dropping a kiss on her forehead periodically. "It's okay. I'm right here. It was a dream." She felt bad saying that, since it hadn't been just a dream for Annie, but at least it could be part of her past now.

Annie's tearful question was nearly lost as she mumbled against Sam's shoulder. "Daddy too?"

"Yes, Annie. Your Daddy's fine, too."

"Where is he?" She turned her head and peeked around the room a bit, looking for Daniel. When she didn't see him, she got visibly more upset again and repeated, louder, "where is he?"

"He's okay. He's in bed, sweetie."

Annie immediately turned and looked at the other bed again. "Nuh-uh. There's nobody there."

"No, sweetie, he's not in that bed. He's not with us now." Sam paused, trying to figure out how to explain this to Annie without upsetting her further. Annie was obviously expecting Sam and Daniel to be in the same bed, which further destroyed her donor theory, but they were planning to explain things to her tomorrow morning. Sam's choice of words and quiet pause had a very different effect than she expected.

Annie slowly looked over at the bed, quietly letting the tears fall from her eyes. After a couple breaths, the tears came harder, bringing quiet sobs with them. Sam gave up on trying to explain things and turned her attention to the new round of tears. "What is it, Annie? What's wrong?"

Annie looked at her incredulously. "Daddy's gone?" Before Sam could answer, Annie grabbed on tightly again and began sobbing against Sam's shoulder. Sam could just make out the teary cries. "Daddy's dead. Daddy's dead."

_Oh, no no no, this won't do._ Sam carried Annie over to the door and into the hall. A few steps and she was banging on Daniel's door. "Daniel, we need you. Now!"


	6. Chapter 6 Reality

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_This was an interesting chapter to write, at least in the beginning. I was less than three paragraphs into it when suddenly the voice of my muse (who talks a lot like the Narrator of this story) disappeared and was replaced by a cheesy romance novel voice that I finally decided must have been Vala trying to take over. It is my opinion that she's gotten tired of babysitting and decided to shoot my muse with a Zat gun. Not to worry, though. I had a talk with her and managed to get our Narrator back._

_Beyond that, I apologize for the delay in this chapter. I've had a lot going on in my personal life, and haven't been able to make as much time for writing. _

**Chapter Six - Reality:**

_(philosophy) _ something that is neither derivative nor dependent but exists necessarily

_(quantum theory)_ one of an infinite number of parallel universes or alternate realities possible

Daniel was startled by the sudden banging on the door, and then panicked upon hearing Sam's cry, "Daniel, we need you. Now!" He ran to open the door, and was thankful to see them both on the other side, but immediately worried about Annie's obvious distress. Had she been hurt? Was she sick? Was it a nightmare? He'd been troubled with nightmares after his parents' deaths. He was just grateful to know that Annie's parents had died off-world so there was no way she could have witnessed it.

As he was thinking, he guided Sam into the room, closing the door behind her. He turned to them and tried to examine Annie to find out what was wrong. He glanced up at Sam, questioning with his eyes, and then heard the muffled words Annie was saying. "Daddy's dead, Daddy's dead, Daddy's dead." Nightmare. But at least he could do something to ease the after-affects for her.

"Annie, honey, I'm right here." He reached for her carefully, trying not to startle her, but needing to get her attention quickly. "See, Daddy's right here. It's okay. It was just a bad dream." He gathered her close and spoke quietly close to her ear. His tone seemed to calm her slightly, but he wasn't sure the words were sinking in. Still, Annie's muttering slowed and her sobs began to quiet. Daniel nearly jumped when he felt Sam's hand reach around him as she stood next to them, then he realized Annie hadn't let go of Sam's shirt, which explained the group hug proximity. Annie's other hand raked across Daniel's shirtless collar bone searching for something to grab onto. He was beginning to wish he'd put a shirt on. Annie's tiny nails almost tickled and Sam's hand was more distracting than he wanted it to be. Still, he kept talking to Annie, knowing it might take some time to get through to her. He'd rarely had anyone he trusted when he was dealing with the worst of these, but one of his early foster mothers had helped a great deal with her soothing voice and patient disposition. He hoped it would help Annie the same way.

"I'm right here. Daddy's here. Come on, Annie. Look at me. Daddy's right here. It was a bad dream."

Sam watched in awe as Daniel kept his cool and offered Annie such soothing reassurances. His calm demeanor was easing Sam's anxiety and she could tell Annie was calming down. She watched Daniel, wondering if he'd had the same traumatic dreams as a child, wondering who was there to hold him after a nightmare, if anyone offered comfort to him. Someday, she wanted to go back to P7X-377 to find Nicholas Ballard and tell him off for abandoning Daniel.

Annie's muttering had all but stopped, now she was mostly whimpering quietly and occasionally saying "Daddy, Daddy" against his chest. Daniel took this as a good sign and reached for her chin to raise her head up towards his. Her eyes got bigger and almost seemed to get bluer as she saw him and finally came fully out of her nightmare. "Daddy! Daddydaddydaddy!" With this, she let go of Sam's now quite-rumpled pajama top and threw her tiny arms around Daniel's neck much as she had done after she first appeared. "Oh Daddy, it was terrible. I dreamed about before when they all said you and Mommy were gone away dead and then when I woked up you were gone. Why were you gone, Daddy? Why don't you want to be with us? Don't you love us?"

Sam felt a sudden lump in her throat and her heart ached for Annie. Daniel's expression showed that he was saddened and horrified by the question. He quickly sat down, placing Annie on his lap so he could look at her. He caught her gaze and placed one hand on the side of her face, amazed at her innocence, her beauty, her mere existence, and said very slowly and deliberately, "Yes, Annie. Of course I love you. I love you more than I ever thought was possible. Don't you ever wonder about that, okay? Always know Daddy loves you. And Mommy loves you," he turned to glance at Sam and offer a small smile. Turning back to Annie he said, "you are the best thing that's happened to us, isn't she Mommy?"

"Absolutely." Sam said, trying to hold back her tears as she leaned over to kiss Annie on the top of the head.

"But why were you gone?" Annie asked. She was much calmer now, but still unhappy because things weren't right.

"I, uh, I was going to stay up and read for a while, and I didn't want to keep you both up since there's just one big room. I figured I could stay here, across the hall, so the light wouldn't bother you."

"Will you come with us now? I don't like the bad dreams. Can I sleep with you?" She looked back and forth from Sam to Daniel, obviously posing that question to them both.

"Of course, sweetie. I don't know if Daddy's ready for bed, yet, though." Sam looked at Daniel, hoping he wouldn't mind that she had taken the initiative with that question. She knew Annie would have to adjust to the differences in this reality, but it could certainly wait until tomorrow after they'd explained things to her.

Daniel was glad Sam had answered. He certainly hadn't wanted to make the decision for her, but he didn't want Annie to get more upset, either. "I think I can go to bed. It's been a long day. Let me just get a couple things." He locked eyes with Sam and wondered if she was having as many Cassandra flashbacks as he was. He hadn't been as close to Cassie in those first few days, but he couldn't help but notice the similarities in some ways.

Sam picked Annie up so Daniel could get up to put on a t-shirt and gather his watch, phone, and glasses. Finally, the new family was heading off to bed, looking forward to a good night's sleep.

Sam awoke slowly, feeling warm and cozy and unwilling to get up just yet. As her mind drifted closer to full consciousness, she remembered what was going on and became aware of Annie snuggled up in front of her. Sam lay on her side, left arm under her pillow, right hand resting on Annie's shoulder. She opened her eyes and looked down at Annie who was lying on her back between Sam and Daniel. Her head was tilted towards Daniel just a little, and her mouth was slightly puckered, almost like a lazy pout in her sleep. Her breathing was slow and even, and she looked very calm and peaceful, but when she looked closer, Sam could still see a little clumping in her eyelashes, evidence of her hard sobs last night. Sam refrained from smoothing out Annie's hair or tracing the shape of her face, but she drank in the sight of her daughter while she had a quiet moment. She was having some seriously intense feelings, and expected it would be a while before she was fully used to it. She'd heard new mothers talk about how much they loved their babies from the moment they knew about them. Of course that moment was usually after a pregnancy test, but Sam felt this must be the same thing. She couldn't wait to get to know Annie more, and watch her grow up and help her learn whatever she was interested in learning. Sam wanted her daughter to have the best of everything, and to find something in life that she could be completely passionate about, like Sam was with her work.

Sam was so lost in these thoughts that she hadn't realized when Daniel woke up. He lay there watching Annie, too, taking in the slight slope of her nose, the curve of her cheek, the shape of her still-closed eyes. He could definitely see some resemblance to both himself and to Sam, but the blend of them made Annie very much her own person. The thought, though, was enough to distract Daniel, leading his early morning ponderings down the road of the other Daniel and the other Sam and the, uh, "blending" that brought Annie about in the first place. He'd only ever had passing thoughts about Sam in a sexual manner, usually when he found her holding hands or kissing an alien visitor, or early on when he'd seen her out of uniform. Of course, as friends and teammates he had never even considered crossing that line and making an advance toward her, but now he wondered about it. Obviously, it seemed the other Daniel had done something different, though if they were married it was more than just sexual thoughts. He felt his throat tighten a bit with that thought. That other Daniel must have been in love with Sam. He certainly couldn't imagine a version of himself that would marry for anything less. What could have made that Daniel and Sam fall in love? What was different in their world? Was it something truly different, or something he was missing?

He was somewhat grateful for the distraction when Annie started waking up and rolled over, though he was less grateful for the tiny fist that hit him right in the nose as she stretched.

"Ow." It was his understated tone, the one often reserved for Jack, so Sam knew he wasn't in any serious pain and felt free to laugh. This, of course, earned her a scowl from Daniel, but she didn't mind.

Sam took in the situation, and allowed herself to appreciate the awe of it – the miracle of having Annie come into their lives. She knew it was going to change everything, and she wasn't sure how to handle some of those changes, but she also knew she wouldn't wish it away. Now that she knew Annie, she couldn't bear to think of not-knowing her again. As she glanced from Annie back to Daniel, she knew she couldn't imagine life without him, either, but she had never imagined _this_ life with him. There was no more time to consider exactly how to define this new life because Annie chose that point to fully wake up and immediately started talking.

"Mommy?" Annie looked worried until she felt Daniel place a hand on her shoulder. She turned toward him and smiled brilliantly. "Daddy! Oh, Daddy, I had such a bad dream. I'm so happy to see you Daddy. Please don't ever go away again. You too Mommy." She turned her pleading eyes on Sam, who found herself quickly trying to blink away tears. "Please, Mommy?"

"Of course, sweetie. It's okay. We're both here and you're safe." Sam and Daniel both reached to embrace Annie and ended up holding onto one another's arms with Annie happily trapped between them.

Daniel smiled as he watch Annie grin and snuggle further into their joint embrace. This was going to be a very interesting day.

* * *

Thanks to Walter's amazing rapport with Annie, Sam and Daniel felt comfortable going to their meeting with the General. Annie was thrilled to be "hanging out with Walter" and hadn't questioned why she wouldn't be attending day care.

They arrived just behind Jack, and Daniel smiled sheepishly, grateful they hadn't actually been late. As they joined Jack, General Landry, Dr. Lam, and the rest of their team at the table, they were both pleased to see that Teal'c had returned earlier than expected.

"Teal'c, how long have you been back?"

"I returned to Earth less than one hour ago, Daniel Jackson. Dr. Lam sent me here immediately after my exam. I am given to understand there is," Teal'c glanced over at Cam, obviously repeating Cam's words "big news."

Sam and Daniel smiled. After exchanging slight nods, Sam addressed General Landry. "Sir, with your permission, I would like to begin the briefing by catching Teal'c up to speed, and continue with our findings from yesterday."

"Go ahead Colonel."

"Thank you." She took a quick breath, wondering how everyone would react to some of the things they were about to say. "Well, Teal'c, two days ago SG-1, minus you, of course, during our mission to PX4-629, had an… interesting experience." She glanced across to Vala and Cam, not surprised to see their understanding expressions, including Cam's smirk, "We entered a building and were scanned by a crystal of some sort. We believe it temporarily transported each of us to an alternate dimension, or somehow connected us to three different realities. The details are still under study, but the results were that Cam and Vala had brief experiences of speaking with other people who certainly _seem_ to be from other realities. More about that is in the mission report. Daniel and I, while it appeared Cam and Vala were gone, were approached by a young girl who we have since learned is our daughter, also from an alternate reality."

She hadn't realized just how wound up she was until she heard the slight tremor in her voice. A quick glance at Daniel let her know he'd heard it too. She'd never been more grateful for someone taking over a meeting as she was the minute he opened his mouth.

"In Annie's reality, Sam and I died on a mission. From what we understand it was fairly recent, probably a couple months ago. Annie is currently living with Janet Fraiser." He paused, wondering exactly how to proceed. "I've begun translating the writings in the room where all this happened, but since it's Furling and we've previously had very little Furling script to study, this is going to take a while to understand. I've got Dr. Sean Miller working with me on this. He's the top linguist on my team…"

"Aside from you," Jack interrupted. When everyone turned to look at Jack he shrugged, "What? We all know this Dr., uh Miller?" he paused for Daniel's nod of agreement, "can't possibly be a better linguist than Daniel. I'm just stating a fact, right Daniel?"

"Well, I don't know that I'd put it in those words, Jack. Dr. Miller has an excellent skill for languages, recognizing patterns, learning new grammatical systems. It's true he has less experience and is fluent in fewer languages, but he's an excellent man for the job." He didn't know how Jack managed to get him so sidetracked sometimes. "Anyway, we're working on this, but it requires we learn the entire language with very little to go on. That panel from the four races and a few things from Jack's utopian moon are all we had before now and they weren't even the same style of script. I'm afraid it will be at least a week before we can understand enough to get a rough idea what it says in parts of that room. I plan to initially focus on the areas closest to the door, the scanning device, and a couple spots that I'm fairly certain mention The Monkey King."

Daniel glanced at Sam and she took over the meeting again, addressing General Landry directly. "I'll need to do some more research on that room before I can get anything helpful, General. Ideally, I'd like to go back and set up some equipment and then have someone else enter the room to trigger the scanner again. I believe, based on our previous experience, that the likelihood is that the new person will experience something along the lines of what Cam and Vala went through, which has had no negative effects on them and would not cause any further problems. Based on the fact that the scanner only triggered once despite all of us going in and out of there, I believe it's set to only react to new people. Unfortunately, the readings I currently have just aren't giving me enough information. I need to record what happens while it's active."

Teal'c had been quietly listening, raising an eyebrow now and again when he heard something particularly interesting. He wondered how the discovery of this child had affected Daniel Jackson and Colonel Carter emotionally. Now, he was intrigued by this room. "I will volunteer to enter the Furling room."

Jack opened his mouth to speak at the same time, and then smiled on hearing what Teal'c had to say. "I was about to make that offer, too. I mean, offer me, not T. I mean, I wouldn't offer him to… oh for cryin' out loud, you know what I mean. I'll go. In the room with the monkey-crystal-thing."

Sam looked from Teal'c to General O'Neill to General Landry, a little surprised that people were so quick to volunteer for this, but hopeful that General Landry would okay it. She knew there was a chance that a new connection with an alternate reality could result in another new person here, or most anything else they could imagine, and more that they couldn't. Her gaze shifted to Daniel as she thought about Annie and their new circumstances. She'd never imagined that.

"What would be the downside of not sending anyone else in there, Colonel?" General Landry was never one to approve a potentially dangerous mission without good reason, but Sam was pleased that he hadn't said 'No' without considering it.

"Well, sir, without further data, I won't be able to determine how the scanner works, figure out if this room connects to the other realities or actually transports people or… well anything, sir."

"And if you can determine how the room works, you think you'll be able to send the little girl back home?" It was almost more of a statement than a question, which bothered Sam and Daniel both immensely. It was clear he expected them to send her back, and as they looked at each other, they knew there was no way they could wait to bring up their concerns there.

Daniel spoke first. "Actually, sir, what we'd like to be able to do is contact the Janet from Annie's reality to let her know that Annie's safe and will be staying with us."

The room stayed quiet just a little longer than normal, and Sam resisted the urge to defend this decision even though she felt a strong protective streak rising within her. Jack sat up straighter in his chair and leaned forward a bit, almost as if he thought he hadn't heard Daniel correctly. Cam and Vala exchanged glances that Sam couldn't quite interpret, but didn't actually say anything. A quick glance at Teal'c made Sam even more nervous because he seemed to have no reaction at all. He was just watching. She had at least expected him to raise an eyebrow. Finally, General Landry said "Am I to understand that you're asking permission to keep a child that you found on another planet?"

"Sir, with all due respect," Sam said, "she's not just any child. She's _our_ child."

Teal'c noticed the intensity with which Colonel Carter made that statement. He could easily see the changes in both Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson. They were shifting, adapting to this new reality. He had seen how well they adapted to their new roles in the fifty years on the Odyssey, so it was no surprise to him that they would adapt even more naturally here, in roles that they both seemed to have been subconsciously waiting for. The other people in the room seemed surprised at Sam's declaration.

"Colonel, how did you know that?" Dr. Lam asked. "I haven't reported the DNA results yet."

Sam blinked, a bit confused by the question at first. She quickly realized that her intuition might not be obvious to everyone else. "I just know," she said quietly. This was new territory for her. She'd rarely felt this sure of anything so suddenly.

Daniel placed his hand over hers on the table, offering support without even thinking about it. "We both do. We talked about it yesterday, and we just knew. General, this is not the first time a child has been adopted by an SGC member. And unlike Cassandra, Annie isn't from another planet. She only knows Earth, and though we found her elsewhere and brought her back through the 'gate, she doesn't realize she was on another planet. She just knows that she's back with her Mommy and Daddy who she thought she'd never see again." He turned to Dr. Lam, "I'm guessing you have the test results available? Would you like to verify Annie's DNA for the General?"

Dr. Lam nodded. "They're right." She glanced around the table at everyone there. "Annie's DNA is a match with theirs. Biologically speaking, they are her parents. All my other tests confirm that she's perfectly normal and healthy in every way. She's the model human three-year-old."

General Landry nodded in resignation. "Well since we can't send her home yet anyway, I see no reason she shouldn't stay with her parents," he sent a pointed look to both Sam and Daniel, "presuming you two are quite sure about this."

Jack watched the conversation, and began thinking through a few other things. The way Sam reacted when Annie was scared by Jack not knowing her; the way Daniel took charge and practically ordered him to stop joking and questioning; the way they'd been looking at her in the infirmary… it all solidified in his head. They weren't just biologically identical to Annie's parents. They were _parents_. He knew those looks. He knew that deep force that made someone put a child's safety and happiness above all else. Looking at his best friend now, there was no question in his mind, Daniel was a father. Sam was no less invested, Jack could tell. _I guess this means I've got a little 'niece' to spoil_. He couldn't quite prevent the slight grin. Annie seemed like a very sweet child and she was obviously comfortable with the Jack of her world.

"…and of course we'll need to get her documents in order as soon as possible." Daniel was talking, but Jack had missed part of it. "And we'll need to have the psychologist brought in with enough clearance to discuss Annie's reality. We want to make the transition as easy as possible for her."

"Of course. Why don't you two take the rest of the day off to explain things and get her settled? And since today's Friday, you should have some more time over the weekend. I'm sorry I can't offer you more leave to settle her in. Not yet, at least. We'll need you to be back Monday morning to continue working on this little puzzle, though. I, uh, won't be able to spare Harriman indefinitely, so getting her adjusted as much as possible and comfortable with day care will be priority." The General stood, indicating the end of the meeting (and making all the military personnel in the room stand with him). "I'll expect a status report at 0800 Monday morning Colonel, Doctor."

They both nodded, grateful they would have plenty of time to take care of Annie and her needs. This was definitely going to be an interesting day.

The meeting hadn't taken as long as they thought, but Daniel and Sam were both grateful that they'd be able to go talk to Annie now and tell her the truth. Sam knew from last night that Daniel was a little nervous about this, and despite her brave words to him, she understood those nerves quite well. Yes, she knew she loved Annie, and they were her parents, but Daniel was right. They weren't really _her_ parents, not the ones she'd known. Sam almost wished they could get by without telling her just so she wouldn't have to feel that loss again, but she knew there was no way Annie, with her bright mind and keen observation skills could stay in this reality much longer without questioning things and getting confused or upset. They needed to tell her sooner rather than later, despite what Sam's stomach full of butterflies seemed to think best.

The brief journey back to their room was quiet, and when Sam took a moment to ignore her own inner thoughts, she took the opportunity to observe Daniel. He looked excited, and a touch anxious, but over it all he was smiling. It was slight, but a smile nonetheless. Though he seemed completely unaware that he was being watched, that slight smile gave Sam a feeling of comfort. They had talked about this last night. Now, they were going to actually get to talk to Annie about it. The elevator dinged as they reached their floor and Sam felt her heart thump in her throat. They had no more than stepped into the hall when she reached out and grabbed Daniel's arm to stop him.

"What is it? What's the matter?" His response was immediate, and his concern made her smile.

"Nothing. I just…" she couldn't believe she was tearing up. She sniffed once, and then smiled again, looking at Daniel. "You did this, made me open up more, helped me let go of the idea that I have to be a strong soldier. I've finally gotten used to allowing myself to cry when I'm sad, but I didn't expect it…" Sam took a deep breath, trying to keep herself from getting too worked up. "I just didn't expect to be so emotional, I guess, and I've never cried 'happy tears' before."

Daniel pulled her into a warm embrace, offering whatever comfort he could. "I know. It's uh, a bit overwhelming. I don't know if it's really hit me yet. I keep telling myself 'we're parents' and 'she's really ours' but it doesn't seem real, you know?"

"Oh, I might be a half step ahead of you then, because it seems completely real and unreal at the same time, to me. I feel like there are so many things I should figure out before I become a mother, so many things we should talk about before we take on the jobs of parents together, but I know it doesn't work that way because we've been parents since she knocked you over in that Furling building."

She felt Daniel nodding against her head even as she felt his arms tighten slightly around her. "It was the most confusing conversation of my life," he said with a slight chuckle. "I felt like I was getting a glimpse of something I've wanted all my life but had no idea I wanted." He pulled back to look her in the eye, "Does that make any sense?"

"Yes! It makes perfect sense. Like there was something I didn't know was missing. It's so hard to explain, but I should have known you'd understand." Another quick squeeze and she let him go. "I think I'm ready now. You?"

"Yes. As ready as I'll ever be. Oh! Should we talk about what we're going to say or just wing it?"

"Wing it. We can't predict her questions or reactions. We know we're starting with the Muppet explanation, and we'll take it from there."

Agreed, the two of them entered the room where they'd stayed with Annie last night and found her happily playing Candy Land with Walter. "Mommy! Daddy!" Annie squealed and jumped up as soon as she saw them come in. She nearly tripped over the partially empty game box in her excitement to see them, her wavy hair bouncing around her shoulders as she jumped and skipped over to them with a big smile showing off her dimple. Sam scooped her up into a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Hello sweetie! Have you had a good morning with Walter?"

Annie nodded. "I readed him a book about heffalumps and woozels, and we played Candy Land before and he winned and now we're playing again."

"Excellent!" Daniel ruffled her hair and kissed her temple as Walter approached them.

"Will you be needing me to watch her again this afternoon?"

"No," Daniel said, glancing at Annie from the corner of his eye. He had a feeling she was going to be very excited about this. "We've got the afternoon off work."

Walter nodded briefly, then laughed at Annie's squeal of excitement as she bounced in Sam's arms. "Have a great time, then. Let me know if I can help with anything else." He nodded at them, "Doctor, Colonel" as he left.

Sam sat down with Annie on the small sofa.

"You really don't have to work anymore today? Mr. General isn't gonna make you be in more meetings or anything?"

"Really," Daniel said as he joined them on the sofa. "We're going to spend the rest of the day with you!"

"Yay!" She bounced up and down, loose curls springing around her shoulders. "What are we gonna do?"

Sam took a deep breath, still wondering exactly how to approach this. "Well," she glanced at Daniel over Annie's head and took comfort in his understanding gaze. "First, Daddy and I need to tell you a really big secret. We need you to listen really closely, okay? It might be kind of scary, and it might be kind of hard to understand, but we are both right here with you and you are safe and loved, okay?"

Annie's expression quickly went from excited, to confused, to worried but she nodded bravely even as she quietly grabbed hold of both of them. One little hand had a death grip on Sam's pinkie finger while the other managed to grab Daniel's thumb.

"Okay, remember the movie from last night when Kermit made that wish and then he was in a world where nobody knew him?"

"Uh-huh"

"Well, one of the big secrets of our job is that we have learned it's really possible to do that. We've met some people from other earths, even other versions of us."

Annie looked confused and Sam worried that they wouldn't be able to make her understand this. She looked to Daniel for help, hoping maybe he could offer a slightly less scientific explanation than the ones that came easiest to her.

"You see, Annie," Daniel place his free hand on Annie's knee, "in that movie, remember how Gonzo and Fozzie and everyone seemed different after Kermit wished he never met the Muppets?" Annie nodded. "Well, if you could get that Fozzie and the other Fozzie, the one that knows Kermit, in the same place, it would be like that. Your mom and I, and Cam, and a few other people, have all met other world versions of us."

"Is there other Annies too?"

Daniel smiled, "Oh, I'm sure there are, but we haven't met any other versions of you. But here's the other part of this big secret. Remember how Fozzie and Rolph and even Miss Piggy didn't know Kermit in that other world?"

Annie's eyes got really big and she opened her mouth in a "oh" of surprise and understanding. Daniel was amazed that she seemed to be catching on so quickly, but quickly realized his mistake when she spoke "So all the boys that didn't merember me are from another earth?"

He looked back at Sam, trying to silently ask her how they could do this without Annie freaking out, but knowing there really wasn't any answer.

"No sweetie. What Daddy's trying to tell you," Sam scooted a little closer, wrapping her free arm around Annie's shoulders to offer comfort from her next words "is that you came here from one of those other earths. That's why things are a little bit different and why people have been a little confused. They've never met you before."

Daniel chimed in again, "It's why we were asking you questions when you first saw us in that room the other day. We didn't actually know who you were until you told us your name and stuff."

Annie blinked at them both, her slightly quivering chin and tear-filled blue eyes showing confusion and fear, but they were actually comforted when they both felt her grip on their fingers get stronger. At least she wasn't trying to get away from them.

"You mean there's never been Annie Carter-Jackson here? Y..y…you don't kn…kn….kn…know me?" Her voice shook as she struggled to understand and fought to hold back her tears. The sight nearly broke Sam's heart.

She squeezed Annie's shoulders and then gently cupped her face to make direct eye contact. "We didn't know you until a couple days ago, but we love you very very much and we want to be your Mommy and Daddy. Everybody else, they love you too, and they want to get to know you now. We just had to explain this because some things are different here and we didn't want it to scare you or confuse you anymore."

"Like the jello cups? They don't look like they used to."

"Yes, exactly like the jello cups. On that other earth, they buy a different shape than we do."

"So where did my first Mommy and Daddy go?"

Sam momentarily got lost in thought as she began to realize that Annie's speech patterns, grammar, and sometimes vocabulary seemed to be more advanced when she was most distressed. She wondered if the mistakes and 'kid-speak' was a subconscious effort to fit in with more average children her age. She was so busy thinking about this, and wondering what they should do about it, that she almost didn't hear Daniel's reply.

"From what you told us, they died in some kind of accident. We don't know anything else about it because we never met them."

"How do you know?"

"Well, you told us that's what Aunt Janet said, remember?"

Annie shook her head, "No, how do you know you never met my other Mommy and Daddy? You said you met other yous before."

Daniel blinked at that. He'd never considered that, but considering how many versions of themselves arrived through that rift, it was entirely possible Annie's parents were there. Unlikely, considering the sheer numbers, but possible. "Well we might have, but we never met any other Sams or Daniels that mentioned you. Even if we never met your other parents, we're sure they loved you very much, and we hope you'll be okay with us taking over now, since they can't come back."

"So I won't live with Aunt Janet anymore? Mr. General said I would stay with her always."

"No, sweetie. In fact, your Aunt Janet is still in the other earth. She didn't come here with you."

"But don't you have a Aunt Janet here? Just like you have Vala and Mr. General and Walter and everybody?"

"Well, we did," Sam had dreaded this part, too, but there was no way to avoid it. "But on this earth, Janet got hurt about five years ago and she died."

Annie blinked a few times, letting this sink in. Finally one slow tear escaped from her eye as she looked back and forth between them. "I can't see Aunt Janet anymore?"

Sam shook her head no.

"And you're not my real Mommy and Daddy? You didn't come back for me cause Daddy's a space monkey?"

"We didn't know about you, but we're still your Mommy and Daddy. I know it's hard to understand, sweet-pea…" Sam broke off when Annie's face crinkled up into a sob. She tried to cut it off quickly, but she was quickly losing her cool.

"Mommy called me sweet-pea." Annie looked like she was about to break out in full blown sobs, but suddenly calmed down again and looked thoughtful. "But you said 'ook'" she said to Sam. "And you know about the banana peels and you tole' me you like monkeys" she looked at Daniel. Her expression was almost accusatory, and Daniel absently wondered if this was a denial aspect of Annie's grief. She would have to grieve for her old world, but he hadn't expected to see this stage so obviously and so quickly.

"Yes, I do like monkeys. I learned about how they peel their bananas when I was in school and I always thought it was neat. I think that probably your Daddy felt the same way and that's why he taught you."

"And when I was little, your grandpa used to make animal noises at me to make me laugh, and I would repeat them back to him. It was sort of like saying 'I love you' but in our own special language. Yesterday when you said 'oook' that's what I thought of immediately, so I was saying 'I love you' in our monkey language."

"That's what my first Mommy said!" She seemed both excited and confused by this, but thankfully wasn't getting more upset. Sam had no response to that but to gather her daughter up in a hug and gently smooth her curls while they rocked back and forth slightly.

Daniel moved closer to wrap his arms around them both, hoping that their afternoon together could help ease Annie's worries and let her feel a bit more at home despite the fact that she was far from the only home she'd ever known.

* * *

Teal'c was waiting patiently for Colonel Mitchell and Vala Mal Doran to join him for lunch in the commissary. He was intrigued by the things he had learned in the briefing that morning, and had already met with General Landry to brief him on the Tok'ra mission he had assisted with.

The Tok'ra had asked for Teal'c's help in stopping a rogue Goa'uld, Shiva, during his attempt to rise up and take power over a of couple small planets. He'd managed to keep a very small troop of Jaffa isolated during the big battles, and when the Tok'ra heard, they knew Teal'c would be able to help them free those Jaffa and take down Shiva before he could actually gain any serious control.

Vala sat down with her lunch tray and flipped a ponytail behind her shoulder before looking up at Teal'c with a smile. "So did your mission go well?"

"Indeed, it did. We were able to prevent the Goa'uld from taking more slaves, free a new troop of my Jaffa brothers, and take Lord Shiva into custody. The Tok'ra are hoping to determine if he knows of any other Goa'ulds who still have followers. It is my understanding that he will be extracted and his host put to rest once they have thoroughly questioned him."

"Well, that sounds like fun. I hope this really is the last one. I'm tired of them trying to pop up from time to time. It's completely inconsiderate."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow and almost grinned, then realized one of their party was missing. "What of Colonel Mitchell? Has something delayed him?"

"Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention, he asked me to tell you he'd see you later. He had to go see Dr. Lam again." She picked at her sandwich, pulling a leaf of lettuce out and munching on it thoughtfully. "I hope nothing was wrong with him! We were all on that mission together. If the doctor wants to examine him again, there's obviously reason for concern, and it's likely I've been affected too!"

"I do not believe you should concern yourself with this unless Dr. Lam asks to see you again. Colonel Mitchell may have any number of reasons for meeting with her right now." He suspected he might know the reason, but it was not his to reveal. "Tell me more of the new child, Annie. You have spent time with her? Is she doing well here?"

"Oh, Annie's a doll, simply a doll. She's bright, supernova bright, though no surprise there, since her parents are probably the smartest people on the planet." Vala put her sandwich back down and leaned forward more, looking across at Teal'c earnestly. "Why is it that I can't catch a break? I thought, you know, now that things have calmed down," she trailed off, hoping Teal'c would intuit her thoughts, but of course, being from different worlds made that non-verbal communication much trickier. She raised her eyebrows and gestured as if to say "right?" but Teal'c just waited for her to speak again. Finally she sighed. She'd have to actually say it out loud if she wanted Teal'c to help her.

"I thought we'd have a chance. Work seems calmer; we've spent a bit more time together. I hoped we'd be getting, you know, _closer_. And then we find out that another Daniel was together with, and had a daughter with, another Sam. I mean, I know they're not us, those other reality people, but they're who we'd be if something was different here. So I wonder if there's a Vala out there that's got her Daniel? And how did she do it?" She looked back down at her plate and poked at her sandwich a bit. Teal'c watched in silence as she picked up the pickle spear and watched the juice drip back to her plate.

"Perhaps there is. I have seen many possibilities from these alternate realities, including the timeline I lived in on the Odyssey, and I have learned something important." Teal'c waited until Vala looked up at him, wanting to make sure she understood the weight of his next statement. He sometimes felt like an outsider, able to see so many possible directions and outcomes that the others did not notice. "In every possibility, there is both good and bad. The value of the good and bad change with each situation. This means, that a reality where you and Daniel Jackson have that type of relationship could be quite different. In this reality, perhaps you would be better paired with someone else."

Vala thought about this and smiled. "You know, I get that. If there's a Vala out there somewhere with Daniel, they might be living a completely different life. Maybe that Vala didn't have a father who took off and ignored her as a child, leaving her to feel like she was always going to have to fight for a man's attention." Vala drifted into her own thoughts, wondering what that life would have been like, and what she would have missed out on by living that life instead of the one she had. She didn't even notice what was going on until Teal'c got up and walked around the table.

* * *

Sam and Daniel each held Annie's hand as they headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Somewhere in the back of Sam's mind she remembered walking like this with Cassie just after they'd found her. She vaguely remembered the pull she'd felt in her chest, that odd choking feeling that made her want to keep Cassie in her life. It had felt so overwhelming, but it now it felt like it had just been a warning of the intense emotions she got when thinking of Annie. She squeezed Annie's hand briefly and smiled when she felt the tiny squeeze in return. Sam honestly wasn't sure which of them got more comfort from the combination of security and familiarity of the gesture. She'd been watching Annie as they walked, and was trying hard not to worry. It was perfectly understandable that Annie would be a bit… subdued after what she'd just learned and all she'd been through in the past several months. She had, in essence, found her "lost" parents only to lose them again and be faced with strangers that looked like mom and dad. Sam couldn't imagine how such a young child could process all this. She was still having a hard time fully accepting it herself. Her top theory was that Annie was young enough for her memories to be molded a bit, and each of these changes in her life was making adjustments to how she viewed her recent memories, thus changing them.

Sam pulled away from these thoughts, wanting instead to focus on the present and let Annie show them what she needed.

"Do you want a grilled cheese or spaghetti?" Sam remembered when her niece and nephew were this age, they always did better with a simple choice between two things. It gave them some control, but was not overwhelming to them. Annie, however, didn't want either of those choices.

"I don't know. Maybe a hot dog and some apple sauce? Or if they have fish, I might want that. I like it with lemon but no turdy sauce."

Daniel's chuckle spluttered out. He hadn't expected that comment from her, but the laughter felt nice after the stress of the last few days. He bent down to tickle Annie, glancing at Sam in the hopes that she'd join him.

Sam got the message and soon they were taking turns tickling Annie with just about every step they took. It was tricky at times, since they had to reach across themselves because they were both still holding her hands. This also put Annie at a bit of a disadvantage – she couldn't squirm away as easily. She was giggling as they came through the cafeteria doors and she immediately saw Teal'c and Vala sitting together at one of the tables.

"Teal'c! You're back!" Annie pulled away until Sam and Daniel let her go. They were pleased to see her in better spirits but it didn't last long. Annie hadn't quite made it to the table when she stopped short and her head drooped slightly. Sam realized that Annie must have remembered that Teal'c didn't actually know her. She would have to deal with a lot of this as she adjusted to a new world where she knew so many people but was a stranger to all of them.

Though he was concerned for Vala Mal Doran, Teal'c was still pleased to see the family enter the cafeteria. He had been looking forward to meeting Annie, having long believed that Colonel Carter and Daniel Jackson would be good parents. He secretly hoped this child would help them see the love they had for one another, but suspected it might take some time. He could not have missed the sudden sorrow and uncertainty on Annie's face, and wondered what had caused it. "Are you distressed?" Teal'c asked as he walked around the table and knelt in front of her.

She sniffed and began to speak very quietly. "I was gonna say hi, but then I 'membered you don't know me cuz I'm from the other Earth."

Both parents reached out to comfort her, but Teal'c reached her first. He gently placed a finger under her chin and raised her head slowly until she met his eyes. "Little One," he smiled, "it is all right. I hope you will come to like me as much as you appear to have liked my alternate self. I am happy to meet you." He glanced up at Sam and Daniel quickly before looking back at their daughter. "Your mother and father have been dear friends to me for many years. They are my family, and now you are, too."

Annie blinked at him for a minute and then smiled. She wrapped her tiny arms around Teal'c's neck and gave him a squeeze. "It's all kinda scary," she whispered in his ear.

"I know, Little One. Fear not. You are safe and loved here." He hugged her back, then stood and gave a slight nod to each of her parents before they all sat down for lunch.


	7. Chapter 7 Interspersion

**Annie's Song**

_Disclaimer: I have no claims on the Stargate world and am making no money on this story. I'm just telling the story that's in my head, and hope you enjoy it._

**Author's Note:**

_Thanks so much to all my readers, old and new. I'm sorry this chapter has taken so long to post. I think my writing mojo went away to hide for a while, but I hope you like it, and I will do everything in my power to make sure the next one comes sooner. Many extra thanks to poetheather1 for the beta read, the suggestions, and the chapter title. _

**Chapter Seven - Interspersion:**

_(noun) – the act of combining one thing at intervals among other things_

_(ecology) – the level or degree of intermingling of one kind of organism with others in the community_

Sam and Daniel went to get lunch from the food line, but found themselves both looking back toward Annie, Teal'c and Vala every couple minutes. "I'm amazed at how well she seems to be adjusting. Do you think we should be worried about that? I mean, shouldn't she be more upset about things?"

Daniel shook his head and grabbed a banana for Annie. "I don't know. Unfortunately child psychology isn't one of my areas of study. I'm not sure what _normal_ is in this situation, especially since this situation isn't what most people on the planet would consider even remotely _normal_."

"You have a point there," Sam said with a slight chuckle. "Sometimes I wonder how we're not insane after all the things we've seen and dealt with." She picked up a chef salad for her and the pb&j Annie had requested. She had a series of fleeting thoughts, buying peanut butter and jelly for Annie, how she'd need to adjust her work schedule, her morning routine, what she and Daniel were going to do about living arrangements, all the things a nearly-four-year-old girl would already have that they would now need to go buy. She moved along the cafeteria line automatically, lost in her memories of helping Janet do all that shopping, and redecorate the guest room to become Cassandra's room. Janet had been overwhelmed by becoming a parent, but she'd eased into it quite smoothly when all was said and done. Sam choked up a little, wishing Janet could be here to help them make these adjustments for Annie, and wishing Annie didn't have to be missing Janet as well. Of course, then she thought of the Janet Annie was missing, and realized that alternate Janet must be going out of her mind. The abrupt disappearance from Annie's bedroom wouldn't likely have left any explanation, and Janet probably had police and SFs searching the state for Annie.

Sam didn't realize how much these thoughts were affecting her until she felt Daniel's hand on her arm. "You okay?"

She nodded and took a deep breath. "Just missing Janet, and thinking of how Annie's Janet must be feeling right now. I hope we can get that thing to work so we can let her know Annie's safe."

Daniel slowly rubbed up and down her arm, elbow to shoulder, "We will, Sam. We'll figure something out. We always do, right?"

She smiled at that. "Yeah, we always do."

They both grabbed some water bottles before going to join the others.

Annie had been sitting quietly until Vala couldn't take it anymore. "Why so quiet, Annie? You want to tell us what you've been up to?"

Annie glanced at Vala, then Teal'c, then back to Vala. "I… I just d-didn't know what to say." She looked nervous, and Vala wondered what was wrong.

"Are you all right, Annie? You know you're safe here with us, right? And your parents will be back in just a few minutes with lunch."

Annie nodded briefly, "I know. But… you stayed with me when we were camping, and in our special room here, but you don't really know me. You d-d-didn't know who I w-w-was." She was getting more upset as she talked and Vala wasn't sure how to handle it. They'd all thought that pretending to know Annie was the best thing at the time… and then she realized this was Sam and Daniel's brilliant child. Why not just explain it to her?

"Well, Annie, when your mom and dad first found you, and you knew all of us, we wanted you to feel safe with us. You see, we could tell right away that you were an amazing young girl and we wanted to take very good care of you. We all thought that would be easier, since you already knew us, if we pretended to know you, just long enough to figure out what happened."

Annie looked at Vala, skepticism on her young face, and held her breath slightly before asking her next question. "So, is it okay that I'm here? If everybody doesn't know me, but I know them, can I still stay?"

Vala reached out, gently squeezing Annie's shoulder, "Of course, you can stay here!" She glanced at Teal'c for reassurance.

"Indeed," he said very calmly, reminding Vala of when Annie imitated him the day they'd found her. "And since you do know me, but I have yet to officially meet you, I would like to ask you a very important question."

His very serious demeanor caught Annie's attention. She calmed quickly, and looked at him expectantly, putting on her best 'grown up, serious, and important' behavior.

"By what name were you known to my other self?"

Annie blinked at him, quickly shifting from serious and expectant to confused and concerned. She glanced at Vala briefly, and clearly wanted to answer Teal'c but simply didn't know how.

"What he means, sweetie, is when you were on that other earth, what did Teal'c call you?"

"Oh," understanding was evident in her voice. "He called me" she straightened up and tilted her head down a little, affecting the 'deep' voice she'd used during her previous imitation, "Andrea Carter-Jackson." Shifting back into her regular voice and posture, Annie continued, "I tole' him to call me Annie, but he never did." She paused again, gazing thoughtfully at an invisible spot on the table while she bit her lip, then finally looked up at Teal'c and said "He never called me Little One. I like that, too."

Teal'c smiled, "I shall remember that… Andrea Carter-Jackson."

Vala smiled at Teal'c, thinking of how sweet he'd been with Annie, and she knew by his inflection – and the fact it's just the way he was – that he would be using her full name most of the time, but she had a feeling he'd remember that she liked him to call her Little One, and that would come out in times of distress or celebration. Vala suspected that would become Annie's special nickname among those who loved her, and was almost surprised when that thought made her realize that she was among those who'd already grown to love this child. She couldn't imagine how Daniel or Samantha must be feeling.

Vala followed those thoughts through the ideas of parenthood and straight into her memories of Adria. From the beginning, she'd known that Adria wasn't just a regular child, and especially after her birth when the unnaturally speedy aging had started, Vala hadn't really been able to delude herself into thinking she could have a regular relationship with her "daughter," but it didn't stop her wishing for it. Despite Adria's purpose and dedication to the Ori, Vala had always felt an inexplicable bond with her, and still mourned the fact that she'd never been able to nurture that bond. She could easily see that Sam and Daniel were developing that same bond with Annie and the realization left her a bit jealous.

She blinked, suddenly aware she'd been gazing off into space and completely lost in her thoughts, and that Annie was in deep conversation with Teal'c now. "…and I saw the jello cups and they don't look the same. Walter didn't know what I meant, but I guess that's just 'cause he's never been to my earth."

"Indeed he has not. You knew Walter in your reality as well?"

"Uh-huh. He came to a party for Mommy and Daddy one time. Other Mommy and Daddy, I mean." She looked down, sad for a moment, and Vala imagined she must be quite confused. As she watched, though, Annie perked back up and continued what she'd been saying, "And that Walter wanted my teacher to be his girlfriend. He tole' me, but he was too shy to tell her."

Sam and Daniel had just arrived and all the adults chuckled at that statement. They could understand Walter being shy. He'd always been very quiet around them and they'd worked together for more than a decade.

"Will I have the same teacher here? Is Miss Linda here?"

"I don't know, sweetie, but we can go find out after lunch. We need to get everything ready for you to start going to preschool next week anyway. Do you feel like taking care of that after lunch and then we can go home?" Sam asked.

Annie had just taken a bite of her sandwich, so she nodded as she chewed.

"Then Andrea Carter-Jackson will be attending the base day care?" 

Daniel nodded. "Yes, it seems the best option, and she's already familiar with it, or at least her version of it. They should be quite similar."

"Plus it lets her come to work with us and we can go visit her there if we have time," Sam added. She was pleased to see Annie's smile. Visits would, of course, be limited to when they weren't off-world, but she hoped the General could keep those missions short for at least a few weeks, just while Annie was adjusting to things and settling in. It would be important to make sure Annie felt safe and secure.

They took Annie to the base day care after lunch and she was very pleased to learn that she would indeed be in Miss Linda's class, but she managed to hold her tongue in front of the teacher. Her parents had warned her not to talk about the other earth or act like she knew anyone in there. Sam couldn't hold back her smile when Annie assured them that she wouldn't tell anyone the "classy-fried stuffs."

Once all the day care details were taken care of, the new family left the base for the first time. Daniel had suggested they stay at Sam's house for now, since she had an extra bedroom where Annie could sleep, but they'd have to figure out what kind of living arrangements they would need for the long term.

Annie seemed to be making a game out of the differences she saw, which Daniel thought was a good sign for her adjustment. "First Mommy's car was black, not blue. Oh, and at the other day care, the baby room was where the pre-school room is here." Sam found herself grateful that the blue car she'd bought last year was one of the ones with a built-in child seat. She hadn't thought she'd ever need it, but she liked the car and since the seat folded down and the restraints were behind it, she'd felt there was no need to choose a different car. When she'd mentioned that to Daniel earlier while they were working out basic details, he'd simply smiled and said it was kismet.

Their first stop was a children's consignment store. They'd decided that would be the best way to get her most of the basics quickly. Sam was amused by the way Annie wanted to look through the clothes. Because they were hung too high for her, she rode on Sam's hip, but kept twisting and stretching to flip through the shirts, moving them one hanger at a time and considering the looks. Her expressions of disapproval ranged from an exaggerated scrunched nose and mouth or fake gagging to the rare, but interestingly subtle shake of her head. She clearly had a preference for blues and greens and a fairly strong dislike of yellow. She liked most t-shirts with cute animals, but she seemed to prefer plain or patterned tops over the ones with characters or pictures on them.

"Daddy?" She called to him from the dressing room where Sam was helping her try things on.

"Yes, sweetie?" He'd been a few feet away considering the rack of lightweight jackets, but moved closer to the dressing room to make sure he could hear her.

"Mommy said we have to stop somewhere else when we're done so we can get me some new undiepanties. I don't like the baby kind with cartoons, 'cause I'm not a baby."

Daniel smiled and shook his head slightly. "No, you're not a baby. We'll let you pick them out to make sure you like them, okay?"

"That's what Mommy said, too!" She sounded quite pleased about their agreement, and Daniel wondered if that was because it was familiar to her. In thinking about her statement, Daniel found himself a bit saddened by the fact that he'd never know her as a baby; he'd never see her first steps, hear her first words, or know which teeth she cut first. But ultimately, those weren't the things that truly mattered. He'd be there for her as she adjusted to her new life, and for her first day of kindergarten, her school plays, her sleepovers and birthday parties. He and Sam would be there for her first date and her graduation. Daniel felt more than a little overwhelmed by all that lay ahead, and somewhat surprised by how much he was looking forward to it. She'd only been in their lives for a few days, and already it was hard to imagine life without her.

He'd gotten so lost in those thoughts that he didn't realize Sam and Annie had finished in the dressing room until Sam was standing right in front of him. As he jerked himself back to the present and made eye contact with her, it occurred to him, so far in the back of his mind that it was nearly his subconscious, that it had only taken a few days to feel that way about Sam, too. They'd clicked immediately, and looking back, he couldn't imagine a time when she wasn't his best friend. "All finished then? Did we find a lot of things that fit?"

Sam nodded and gestured with the armful of clothes she was holding, "most of it fit, but there were some things she decided she didn't like once she'd tried them on."

Annie was standing next to Sam, holding onto Sam with one hand, and tightly gripping a light blue t-shirt with the other. "This one is my favorite!" She let go of Sam's hand so she could display the shirt for Daniel. "I like the monkey on it," she said with a big grin. Daniel and Sam exchanged smiles after Daniel read the shirt: _Warning: Extreme Monkey-Powered Awesomeness Enclosed_.

"I think that's a great shirt!" Daniel's approval clearly made Annie happy, as evidenced by her giggle as she skipped around while Sam paid for her things.

A couple more stops for "undiepanties" and a few groceries, and they finally made it to Sam's house. Sam helped Annie out of her safety seat while Daniel gathered up the bags. Annie was still continuing her observations and running commentary. "This isn't our old house from other Earth. I like the bushes. That's a little gate. Other house just had a big gate behind it. Unc'l Jack says I need a dog for back there, but Mommy likes cats better." She suddenly paused, realizing what she'd just said. Sam had just gotten the door open and led Annie inside, but was quick to notice that Annie seemed upset. "Unc'l Jack doesn't say that now. We don't have that house now. Mommy's gone away." She was muttering to herself, barely above a whisper, but Sam heard her and worried that this trauma would be too much for Annie's young mind to handle.

"Sweetie, I'm right here," Sam knelt down, turning Annie's face to make eye contact, offering a gentle smile in the hopes that Annie would be able to focus on the here and now, and not on the fact that this virtual stranger happened to look like her dead mother. "It's okay, Annie. You're safe. Mommy and Daddy are here with you. See, there's Daddy!" She sent Daniel an urgent glance and one of their familiar silent messages, and was not disappointed in his reaction.

Daniel had just stepped through the doorway and quickly put down the various bags of Annie's things. He'd been pondering how much they had just bought and how much more she would need soon, but those thoughts flew right out of his head when he realized Annie was distressed. He quickly joined Sam on the floor, pushing the door shut behind him, and reached out to Annie to confirm what Sam was saying. "Hey Annie, sweetheart, I'm here. And Mommy and I can spend the whole weekend with you, remember? Mr. General said we don't have to work until Monday, and then you'll go to Ms. Linda's class while we're at work, just like you used to." Annie's watery eyes tugged at his heart, but he was pleased to see her focus her gaze, first on Sam, then him. She blinked a few times and sniffed once. A tiny smile showed on her lips and he knew she'd be all right, at least for now.

"First Mommy liked cats. First Daddy did too, 'cept when they messed up his owwer-geez. Do you like cats?" She looked back and forth between the two, waiting to find out if this would be a similarity to her old home, or another thing that was different.

Daniel nodded. "I do like cats, and my allergy medicine is pretty good, so I don't have too many problems with them. I know your Mommy used to have a cat named Schrödinger, but he went to live with an old friend of hers."

Annie nodded slightly and looked at Sam expectantly. "I love cats, Annie. I always have. Maybe after things settle down a little we can get a cat. Would you like that?"

Annie smiled a little and nodded more obviously. "Can I pick it out?"

"Of course," Sam smiled and pulled Annie into a hug. She glanced sideways and caught Daniel's gaze. Their unspoken thoughts were clearly the same. They'd do just about anything to make Annie happy.

"Now," Daniel said as he grabbed some of the bags again, "let's start putting things away. Sam, it's the first room on the right?"

Sam nodded as she let Annie go and picked up a couple more bags. "We can change some of the stuff in there if you want. It's just kind of plain, for when I had company that wanted to spend the night. What's your favorite color? We could get you a new quilt for the bed, something you like."

"I like all the colors. Can we get a…" she interrupted herself with a yawn, "a rainbow one?"

"We can look for one. Are you tired? Do you want to take a nap?" So far she hadn't been taking naps on base, but Sam thought it could have been all the excitement. She was fairly sure kids still took naps into Kindergarten, and Ms. Linda had mentioned that Annie would need a mat for naptime there, something they hadn't gotten yet, but then she was sure there'd be more shopping this weekend. Sam shook her head, wondering how long it would take to really feel like she had a clue what she was doing.

Annie nodded and climbed onto the bed while Daniel was sorting her clothes on top of the dresser. Sam sat on the edge of the bed and helped Annie get her shoes off. "Do you want anything? A drink of water? Do you need to use the bathroom?"

"Do you have a teddy bear that can sleep with me?"

"I do! I have the teddy bear that slept with me when I was a little girl. I'll be right back." She kissed Annie on the forehead before going to her room to get the bear that always sat on her bookshelf next to some of her favorite children's books. She'd always imagined that someday those books and that bear would go to her own child, and now they finally would. She felt herself tearing up a little but sniffed and wiped her eyes before grabbing the bear and a couple books to take back to Annie.

"Mr. Buttons!" Annie bounced on the bed when she saw the bear, momentarily throwing Sam for a loop. It was both surprising and comforting that Annie recognized the beloved Mr. Buttons, and Sam found herself blinking back tears again and idly wondering when she'd turned into such an emotional wreck. She'd always imagined her childhood bear would be treasured by her own children, and had hoped, as she took him off the bookshelf, that Annie would like him, but to find that Annie _already_ loved this bear really struck her. It drove home the fact that Annie really was her child, while also reminding her of all the things she'd already missed in Annie's life.

Sam took a deep breath, pushing the bittersweet thoughts aside, and smiled as she sat on the bed with Annie, straightening the bear's red bow tie before offering him to her daughter. Annie pulled him into a hug immediately and blinked her big eyes at Sam's gentle laugh. "I'm glad you know him, Annie. He's been waiting for you."

A few minutes later, Sam had given Annie a hug and a kiss and left Daniel reading her The Foot Book by Dr. Suess while playing with Annie's feet. She stood in the living room looking around at her things, wondering if any of them were inappropriate to have out around Annie. She was clearly past the toddler stage where she'd grab everything in her reach, but Sam thought it might still be a good idea to move any breakables and lock the cabinets with poisonous cleaners and such. She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it wasn't even four yet, but at least that meant Annie could get a short nap before dinner and it wouldn't be as likely to keep her up super late. Still, at quarter to four, could she justify a glass of wine? Yeah, after the past few days, she thought it would be acceptable. Sam wondered if Daniel would want some, but decided not to pour it just in case. She left an empty wine glass on the counter next to the bottle and took her own glass to the living room where she leaned back on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. One sip of wine, a deep breath, and she closed her eyes, trying to clear her head a little.

"Did you want a naptime story, too?" Daniel was standing there smiling at her when she opened her eyes.

"You know, it does have a certain appeal to it," she smiled back at him and gestured toward the kitchen with her glass. "There's another glass out in case you want some."

"I think I will, thanks." She watched him go to the kitchen, wondering if he was feeling as confused and overwhelmed by all this as she was. There were so many different emotions coming out of all this, and she couldn't seem to work out which ones were most prominent. Daniel had never seemed to have as much trouble with his emotions and she thought he probably had more experience adapting to big changes. Hell, he'd married and made a home off world, after his first time through the gate!

Sam was sitting up looking a little overwhelmed when Daniel came back into the room. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I mean, isn't it? I don't know, is it? I don't think it is. I mean, of course it is, right? It's okay. It's all okay, right?" Daniel had never seen Sam like this. She was acting so nervous; even more than when she was worried about Cassie. He set his glass down and joined her on the couch, facing her and putting one hand on her shoulder.

"It's all okay. Annie's fine, and we can handle this. You're not in it alone."

"We really did it. We have a child. Our… our daughter.." Sam's eyes teared up as she looked at Daniel. "She's ours now."

"Yes, she's ours." He hugged Sam tightly, trying to offer comfort for her nerves and all the while thinking about how backwards this all was. He'd always imagined if he were ever going to have children it would be with his wife, and would involve a pregnancy and some planning. Here he was, less than a week after meeting Annie on what should have been a normal day at work, and he was just months away from planning a fourth birthday party and thinking of buying a house with Sam. It was an amazing and incredible blessing, but still a lot to take in.

Daniel released her, but still kept one arm around her. He picked up his glass and they both took a couple sips and sat there in silence for a few minutes. After a little thought, Daniel raised his glass to toast "To our new family." He watched Sam carefully, hoping she had calmed down enough to be excited about this like she was earlier. He was rewarded with her great smile that lit up her eyes as she clinked her glass against his and nodded her head in agreement.

"To… The Monkey King, for whatever he had to do with this." They clinked their glasses again before she continued, "Have you figured out yet how he's connected?"

"You mean since this morning when I told everyone in the briefing that I didn't know yet?"

"Yes, since then, have you figured it out?" She tried to hold an innocent expression, but he saw a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "You know, in between lunch and shopping and story time? Surely you've got it all worked out?"

"Oh, yeah, I actually knew before we gated home, but I didn't want people to think I was too perfect, you know." They both laughed at that, and Sam had to take a deep breath just to steady herself enough to set her wine glass down safely. She leaned toward Daniel and laughed into his shoulder and he just laughed into her hair and tightened his grip around her.

Sam and Daniel both felt a bit more relaxed after having a good laugh, and sat there sipping their wine and chatting until Annie came in about 40 minutes later. Sam saw her first and smiled at the site of the messy hair and sleepy eyes. Annie was hugging the teddy bear she'd slept with and when Daniel turned to look he felt a wave of emotion come over him. It was becoming a regular thing, but he still wasn't used to it. He'd always thought the overwhelming love people talked about when they had babies was partly a result of knowing ahead of time and waiting and expecting the child, but with Annie it had been so fast and it hit so hard sometimes it nearly took his breath away.

He reached out to Annie, hoping she wasn't feeling disoriented after her nap. "Did you have a good nap sweetheart?"

Annie nodded and climbed up in Daniel's lap, leaning against his chest. The sleep-warmth of her body seemed to seep straight through to his heart, entangling with the emotions he was still trying to sort out. Daniel felt his eyes begin to sting and water up and just closed them while he hugged Annie tightly. He started slightly when he felt Sam's hand on his shoulder, but one glance at her told him she knew exactly how he was feeling. They shared a smile over Annie's head, and he reached up to smooth her messy hair.

The new family spent the rest of the evening playing go fish, watching the Disney channel, and ordering pizza for dinner. It was a relaxing time, especially after the week they'd all had, and Sam couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder at how familiar it seemed. It was only after Annie's bath and bedtime story, when she and Daniel were alone again, that she was struck by the one thing that made them completely unlike a real family. They weren't a couple. They never had been.

Sam was grateful that Daniel wanted to do some research after Annie went to sleep because she needed to think things through a little. She couldn't stop wondering if she was missing something. If there was something important that had brought the other Sam and Daniel together, and why it hadn't happened here. Why, in so many other realities, had her alternate selves ended up with other people, and why was this the first one they'd encountered that was with Daniel? He was her best friend, and she couldn't imagine life without him, but she'd never _really_ imagined being _with_ him. The passing thought (especially when he reappeared in the General's office and came out wearing a flag) sure, but nothing she would actually entertain. It just hadn't occurred to her.

Maybe that was the difference. Maybe somehow, something had occurred to this other Sam? Maybe they met under different circumstances? If Daniel hadn't been happily married when they'd met, and then searching for his lost wife and eventually grieving her death while becoming Sam's dear friend, would they have ended up together? Would that chemistry have sparked differently and bound them in romantic love instead of the deep friendship they had now? She spent some time writing about this in her rarely-used journal, and then put it away to focus on the things that really mattered in this reality, like finding them a new home.

She started an internet search for homes in Colorado Springs, initially near the mountain, but quickly realizing that wasn't the top priority for this search. She had to consider school zones. Sure, Annie wouldn't be starting school for a couple years, but they would want to stay in one place, give her stability, so they should consider the schools near their new home. Unless they wanted to send her to private school. She realized she'd never paid a lot of attention to the schools in her area, and opened a new browser tab to research the school system and find out how it ranked in the state and in the country. The zones themselves were a little confusing at first, and then she started considering other things in each part of the city – where were the best parks and playgrounds? Which areas would be safest for Annie to play outside? Where could they have a good yard for her to play in and maybe have a swing set? What else would she need access to? There were so many questions, so many things she knew nothing about, that she found herself getting quite frustrated. After a couple hours of this she loudly snapped the laptop closed and pushed it aside on the couch, sighing and trying to relax her suddenly very tense shoulders.

"Need another glass of wine?"

Daniel was standing over her, holding the bottle toward her earlier emptied glass.

"Sounds lovely." She smiled at him, amazed at how he always knew just what she needed. He poured the wine and sat down with her, reaching one hand out to rub the base of her neck, working out the knots that had been building.

"So, what's got you so frustrated?"

"There's so much to do, and I feel like I can't do any of it yet because I don't know how. Most parents would have time to figure out the best place to live, what schools are good, all those things that are important for children, but we need to have this done really soon and we have no experience with it and no time to learn it."

Daniel just nodded, listening.

"I was going to start looking at ideas for a new house. I…" she suddenly looked nervous and backtracked a little. "I didn't mean to take control or leave you out or anything, I was just getting ideas. I didn't want to interrupt your research so I thought we could talk about what we both wanted later, but I didn't even know what I wanted, so I started looking to figure it out. I'm sorry. I didn't…" 

"Hey, it's okay. I know. It's not a problem." He scooted closer to her, arm wrapped around her shoulders in comfort. "Go on.

"I just, I was looking at house listings, and then I saw that they all include the school zone in the information, and I realized I don't know anything about the schools around here. And if they aren't really good, would we want to send her to private school instead? And I don't know what else we need to consider when we're looking for a place. Obviously a safe neighborhood, and enough space for everyone, but what else is important in the life of a child? And not only a three-year-old, but a seven-year-old or a thirteen-year-old? If we want to give her stability, we have to think about those things, too, and how our new place will be good or bad for her as she gets older. It just seemed like so much to figure out – and that's not even considering the realization that we're going to be living together ten or fifteen years from now. What about what we need, too? How do we even figure that out? And where does it fall on the priority list?"

"Wow. You really get a lot going on in there once it starts up, don't you?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I guess I do. Haven't you thought about this at all? I mean, have any of these things occurred to you, or are you just so utterly cool and zen about it that it doesn't worry you?" Sam glanced at him sideways, still grinning, but wondering why she couldn't be so relaxed about things.

"I have thought about some of those things, and I'm sure I'll be thinking about the rest now you've brought them up. Honestly, though, most of my non-research thoughts have been worries about letting her down. I worry that I'm being selfish in wanting to keep her here with us instead of doing everything in our power to find a way to send her home. I worry that she'll somehow resent us or not be comfortable with us because we're not the parents she was born to. I worry that she'll be traumatized by all of this because it's really not the kind of thing a kid is built to handle." Sam could hear the worry coming out in his voice more and more as he spoke, and she wanted nothing more than to ease his concerns even while she was feeling the same thing. "I worry," he continued "that we'll have trouble adjusting because of how she came into our lives, or that …" his voice caught, and she looked up quickly, turning on the couch to face him more directly, "that you'll resent the situation because it's not the ideal family. That we'll have distance between us because of trying to co-parent and still carry on with other relationships in our lives."

"Daniel?" She held his hand and watched him, waiting for him to look up and make eye contact. He took a deep breath and offered a shaky smile as he finally looked at her, his eyes shining slightly, betraying just how emotional he felt. "I won't. I couldn't resent this situation. I couldn't possibly resent you or Annie. You two are my family. It may not be someone else's ideal family, but it's my family. You are my best friend in the world, Daniel, and I've lost you before, so I really learned to appreciate what a blessing it is to have you in my life. You've been my family for ages, and you always will be. Annie, well, she's a gift. I'd thought I missed my chance to be a mother. Oh, sure, I'm a little sad that I didn't get to carry her myself, or see all her first steps and words and stuff. I ache for what she's lost in her young life already. I just want to be the absolute best mother I can for her now. I want to make sure that the rest of her life makes up for the losses and confusion and transitions she's had to deal with in the past several months."

"Me too. I think I'm worried about my role, though, because I don't have much to model my parenting on. Foster care doesn't cut it, and I didn't have a lot of time with my own parents. What if I screw it up?"

"You are too compassionate and loving and brilliant to screw it up. You have some memories of your parents, and you know what is important. You're a good father, Daniel. You've been a good father to her since the moment we met her."

"And what if I screw _us_ up?" His eyes were watering again, and the depth of emotion behind that question took Sam's breath away. It almost sounded like… like he wanted them… but they'd never had that kind of relationship. She forced a slow, deep breath before she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, it's not every day that platonic best friends suddenly find themselves parents of a child created by a happy marriage between their alternate universe counter-parts." He barely finished the sentence before they both burst out laughing at the sheer absurdity of it.

As they sat there catching their breath, Sam thought about what he'd said. He was right. For all that it seemed like something straight out of a fantasy novel, it was their life. "What, exactly, are you worried about Daniel?"

He sat up, making her realize how much she'd enjoyed having his arm around her, and pinched the bridge of his nose, a gesture she had seen so many times, one that usually indicated his stress levels were rising. The laughter had done them both good, she knew that, but there was no lingering mirth in his expression now. This was serious, and very important to him. "I'm worried about losing you." It was simple and to the point, and it took her breath away, though she couldn't fathom why.

Sam inhaled sharply and raised her chin up just a little. She couldn't quite meet his eyes for a second, feeling the sudden need to re-orient herself in the world. When she opened her mouth, though, the words came out faster than she could think about them. It was pure instinct. "Daniel, only you would worry that you would lose me after we decided to commit to raising a child together. Annie has changed a lot for us, sure, but she can't change the fact that you're my best friend in the world. We're going to be closer than ever now, and you'll soon wish you could just go home for an evening away from me, but once we get a new place, that won't even be an option." She smiled at him as she finally met his eyes again, trying to ignore the confusing pounding of her heart. Her emotions had been on a roller coaster all week, and it was only natural to be confused by things. This would pass, and they'd settle into a new life with Annie.

"I doubt that. I've never tired of spending time with you before, why should it be any different now?" He was smiling again, and looking a little more relaxed, but still very serious. "Are you sure, though? Will you promise to talk to me if things get uncomfortable, or if you need more space or you get sick of having me around all the time, or, well, just anything? I don't want our friendship to suffer because of this sudden family we've been dropped into."

"I promise." Sam set her wine glass on the table and reached out to Daniel, pulling him into a tight hug. "I promise," she whispered in his ear, and held him tighter when she felt a slight shiver run through him.

Later that night, Daniel lay on the couch thinking about their conversation and the look in Sam's eyes when he admitted his fears. He couldn't explain it to her, though. It was more than concern for their friendship. He knew they had a strong friendship that could stand the tests of time and addiction and insanity and other relationships and even death. But this was different. This wasn't something trying to pull them apart like those other things had been. Annie was literally pulling them together, and he had a sinking feeling that if they weren't careful, and if they weren't fully aware, they'd be pulled together too quickly, with too much force, and it would destroy them. He couldn't really put words to it yet, and with his flair for language, that was an exercise in frustration all on its own. He just knew there was something happening, shifting in their friendship. The shift from friends to parents, of course, and from co-workers to cohabiters, and those would definitely take some time for them to both adjust, but there was so much unknown here, so much in the top secret way this came to be, in the "this has never happened to anyone else before" kind of situations they often found themselves in… that led to deeper levels of closeness, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this level would be different. He just didn't know how.

He sighed and picked up his journal, hoping that he could direct some of his thoughts and eventually get some sleep.

_I can't help but wonder if I'm doing something wrong here, if I've overstepped the natural order of things in deciding that Annie should stay with us, but I can't quite bring myself to care, either. She's precious, and she's a beautiful gift, even if she's not really mine. Oh, sure, she's mine. Mine and Sam's, but a different me and Sam. And that just brings up a whole new host of questions, doesn't it?_

_Me and Sam. Yeah, there was a time that I thought I might have feelings developing for her. There have certainly been times that I was attracted to her. But overall, there's never been a time that I truly entertained these ideas. We're the best of friends. We work together. She's often had a thing for Jack, or been with Pete, (or Joe, Narim, Martouf, I could go on), and I pined for Sha're for so long, even more after she was actually dead than while she was host to Amonet._

_I just don't know what to think about the fact that we actually got together in another reality. Does it mean we should try it here? Now? Should we consider the pros and cons of things, or should we just leave things as they are and forget that another version of us were together, like she and Jack did after the run-ins with other realities?_

_When all of our other selves showed up during that ripple effect caused by the team in black, I talked to a number of them. I don't remember any of them mentioning me and Sam as a couple. Jack and I were in one world, which took me a bit by surprise. Sam and Jack were together in a number of realities, and even Sam and Janet in one (though she didn't admit it until right before she went back through the gate because of those stupid Don't Ask Don't Tell laws). Then there was the one team that said Sam was on maternity leave and they didn't mention who the father was. I wondered about that, and even felt just a little jealous at that statement..._

_Hey, come to think of it, that would have been about the right timing for Annie's birth. I suppose it's possible that Annie is the child of that Sam, and I know that Daniel didn't mention any other relationship, so it's possible they were together and having or just had Annie._

_In the overall scheme of things, it really doesn't matter that much, or at least it shouldn't. I have Annie here now, and I have the incredible friendship of the Sam I've known for so many years. Annie is a precious (if somewhat precocious) child. I have to admit that I was hoping from very early on that we wouldn't find a way to send her home, because honestly, if she's lost us in her world, what is there for us to send her back to? Yes, she has her "Aunt Janet" over there, but she doesn't have Mommy and Daddy._

_On the other hand, we aren't REALLY Mommy and Daddy, are we? We didn't live through the pregnancy, or witness her first steps or hear her first words. We didn't teach her to read those first few letters and simple words, or how to dress herself, or any of those things that are so important in the early years. We didn't plan her and we aren't actually together like the parents she remembers. We AREN'T the parents she remembers, and that's really what it all boils down to._

_But still, the idea of letting her go, it's not something I feel very comfortable with. It's not something I want to even consider, really, because she's my daughter. She is, in so many ways, a part of me and a part of Sam and I have felt some inexplicable connection to her since the moment she knocked me over in that building._

Daniel awoke the next morning to the whispers of Annie and Sam. He lay still, listening, enjoying the simple domesticity of it.

"What would you like for breakfast sweetie? We have cereal or waffles, or I can cook you some eggs if you want."

"I like waffles. Do we have syrup for them?"

"Yes, we do. Why don't you sit down and I'll go get you some juice while the waffles heat up, okay?"

"Okay. When will Daddy wake up?"

"Probably soon."

"When you make the coffee?"

Sam's laugh floated over him like a familiar blanket and he couldn't help but smile a little. "Yes, probably when I make the coffee."

"Will Daddy always sleep on the couch now?" And there it was, the first reminder of the day that this was not a 'normal' family.

Daniel stretched and sat up on the couch. "No, I'm only sleeping on the couch for right now. Soon we'll all pick out a new place together and we'll have lots more space."

"Daddy! You're awake!" She grinned and bounced across the room to jump in his lap. "Mommy's gonna make the coffee and I get waffles for breakfast!"

"Waffles are excellent for breakfast! Good choice." He smiled at her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "Did you sleep well?"

Annie nodded as she climbed down and tried to pull Daniel toward the kitchen.

"Wait just a minute, Annie. Let me go use the bathroom, and I'll meet you back in there for breakfast, okay?"

"Okay Daddy!" She ran off into the kitchen and began talking nonstop to Sam while Daniel moved down the hall.

He could hear Annie's continued faint chattering even from the bathroom, and as he washed his hands and face, he looked at himself in the mirror and wondered what they should do today, and possibly more important, what questions Annie would have for them today.


End file.
